It's a 'pragmatic decision' says Northern Lincolnshire health boss on Plan B

Face coverings will become compulsory in most public indoor venues with NHS Covid Pass becoming mandatory for nightclubs

Author: Rebecca QuarmbyPublished 10th Dec 2021
Last updated 10th Dec 2021

Health bosses In North East Lincolnshire say the government’s Plan B on face masks doesn’t make much sense.

From Wednesday we could see the NHS Covid Pass become mandatory for nightclubs and venues holding 500 or more people but not pubs and bars.

Public Health Director Geoff Barnes says there’s a risk of spreading the virus in crowded places in general. He said:

“It seems more pragmatic decision really that larger venues can deal with it more but the risk is probably just as much in smaller venues if they get crowded as big venues it's all about just how crowded they are not nearly the amount of people that’s in them.”

From today, face coverings will become compulsory in most public indoor venues, such as cinemas, theatres and places of worship but not pubs and nightclubs.

Geoff added:

“It doesn't make an awful lot of sense to me I can I can openly say really pubs, nightclubs and those kind of environments which do get quite crowded are all higher risk than some of the places where face coverings are all being recommended. It would make more sense in face coverings were required when moving about pubs and night clubs."

The number of COVID cases in the over 60s across the borough have shot up by up to 42 per cent in the last two weeks, Geoff is now urging people to get the booster jab. Geoff said:

“Working from home and face masks will reduce the number of contact people come into but the important one is the vaccination programme and if it helps persuade people into getting jabbed, then that will make probably the biggest difference."

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