The end of Plan B COVID-19 restrictions is a relief for police officers, who were in an \u201cabsolutely impossible position\u201d, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
The measures in place to combat the Omicron variant, including compulsory mask-wearing on public transport and in shops, guidance to work from home and vaccine certificates, ended on 26 January.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said it was a positive move for the police. He said: \u201cWe cannot be expected to police restrictions now that are so unpopular, and have been completely marginalised by high-profile incidents involving the Government.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt puts policing in an absolutely impossible position. We police by consent in this country and I think that consent has gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that officers would probably continue to wear masks for the time being to reduce abstraction rates in the force, but lessons should be learned for any future restrictions.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe have to be very mindful that we can\u2019t put our officers in a position that they\u2019re policing something so overwhelmingly unpopular, going forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe measures are ending anyway \u2013 although they will probably persist within the police and other public bodies for the time being, just to make sure that abstractions don\u2019t continue \u2013 but I will be linking in with the force about an exit strategy about it.\u201d<\/p>\n