@Y0uCann0tBeSer10us
Technically you're supposed to wear a face covering in any public indoor space I think (shops, public transport, libraries etc.), unless you're exempt or under 12 (although you self -ID as exempt and in practice many people have stopped wearing masks anyway). But not if you're being active (so gyms and night clubs exempt) and not if you're eating/drinking (so restaurants OK unless you're going to the loo, drinking at the bar OK). Officially there are no longer limits on numbers and no requirements for distancing etc. Unofficially, a lot of places (mostly council run) are still doing it anyway. No restraints on socialising in homes or travel and all businesses allowed to open. Mass gatherings going ahead with the relevant council approvals.
If you have one of the three COVID symptoms (fever, cough, loss of smell) you have to isolate and get a PCR test - if this is negative you get on with your life, if it's positive you have to isolate for 10 days. If you're IDd as a close contact you can go about your business after a negative PCR test as long as you are double jagged or under 18. Under 5s don't need the test and are ignored as close contacts unless they have one of the three official symptoms themselves.
Workplaces are advised to have staff work from home but it's not compulsory and essentially is left up to the individual business. There is various guidance on rules in workplaces, but as far as I can tell things like masks are left to the individual business too. Most businesses seem to be blending staff back into the office.
Schools are the worse off by far. All mitigations remain in place so no assemblies, school plays etc., masks to be worn making teaching/learning hard, staggered start/stop times etc.
This is what I think the rules are currently, although I wouldn't be surprised if I have it wrong.
I think this is a pretty accurate summary. But frankly, it all makes about as much sense as
mamelon's version, which is much simpler
Re close contacts in school, in theory test & protect would phone the positive child (or their parent) and ask for names/ phone numbers of any close contacts and then get in touch with the close contact. Formally I think close contacts are still anyone you've been within a metre of for more than 15 mins, or face to face for any length of time, which would include a lot of school situations. In practice of course, the child may not even know the first name of the child they wrestled to the ground in playtime, or the surname of their classmate who they worked with on a table all afternoon, and definitely not their (Parent's) phone number. Or, if it's anything like DS, totally forgets everything that happened over the course of the day apart from "we had ice cream for lunch and Carl did a really smelly fart".
And of course, the school isn't able to tell the parent the phone number for John Smiths's mum (personal data), so they can let T & P know, and it's not the schools responsibility any more to let John's mum know. So unless the parents already know each other by sight, and tell each other informally, close contacts may never even know they are close contacts. Which is a bit weird.
I think this is the reason they are saying school contacts are now just siblings, anyone who's had a sleepover and anyone who's been snogging the positive child - which you'd hope everyone would have all the relevant details of. But it's hardly the most comprehensive contact tracing, if they are still trying to cut cases by identifying all relevant contacts.