What does COVID Plan B Mean for Equestrians in England?

The government announced on Wednesday that England will move to ‘Plan B’ in response to the risks of the Omicron COVID variant. But what does it mean for equestrians and our sport?

Standard COVID Plan B, for those living in England, means:

• From 10 December, face coverings will be required by law in most indoor settings.
• From 13 December, office workers who can work from home should do so.
• From 15 December, certain venues and events will be required by law to check that all visitors aged 18 years or over are fully vaccinated, have proof of a negative test in the last 48 hours, or have an exemption.

Apart from the legal requirements outlined in Plan B, these new restrictions shouldn’t have any major impact on activity within the equestrian industry. In support of Plan B and helping to mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus, British Equestrian recommends:

• Keeping yourself and others safe through mask-wearing indoors where indicated, and following hygiene measures including hand-washing and sanitisation.
• Having an awareness of COVID symptoms, self-isolating if required, and conducting regular testing with free lateral flow tests, available via the NHS, your local pharmacy or test collection points.
• Take-up of COVID vaccination and boosters when invited.
• Checking with venues for any COVID pass requirements/restrictions they may have in place before attending, and complying with these during your visit.

It also may be prudent to:

• Ask the yard manager if there will be additional measures put in place.
• Ascertain other livery members their feelings on the matter.
• Check with dentists, vets, farriers, and any other equine services whether they require a mask to be worn when attending to the equine.
• Be courteous to others who may not wear a mask due to being exempt, not every disability is visible.

For more information on COVID Plan B information for England, visit – Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

For more information on Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, please use the links below.

Wales – https://gov.wales/coronavirus

Scotland – https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/

Northern Ireland – https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19

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Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.