Face masks could be made compulsory in shops, Matt Hancock says

Matt Hancock has dubbed face masks as ‘important part of our armoury’ and says they could become compulsory in shops. 

The Health Secretary said he will be reviewing the wearing of face coverings in crowded places indoors to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

He said: “The use of face coverings that are not formal face masks is valuable especially in some circumstances and therefore it’s mandated on public transport and it has been long recommended in some shops.”

According to a source from the Department of Health, the issue regarding face masks is set to be kept under constant review and any guidelines are not expected to be released immediately.

The news comes as the president of the Royal Society, Venki Ramakrishnan, slammed the government for a confusing message on the use of face masks and coverings in the UK throughout the coronavirus pandemic. 

At present, it is only compulsory to wear a face mask or covering on public transport, and it has been advised to wear masks in supermarkets or other areas where social distancing cannot be practiced successfully. 

Other countries have implemented the use of face masks into their daily lives, while the UK has not implemented a stringent policy. 

Ramakrishnan said: “Perhaps people do not really understand the benefits or are not convinced of them. Whatever the reasons, we need to overcome our reservations and wear face coverings whenever we are around others in public.

“It used to be quite normal to have quite a few drinks and drive home, and it also used to be normal to drive without seatbelts.

“Today, both of those would be considered antisocial, and not wearing face coverings in public should be regarded in the same way.”

The comments follow new research that detail the effectiveness of the use of face masks and coverings.

Studies show that masks can reduce the risk of transmission rate to just 3.1% with a mask, down from 17.4% without a mask. 

A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A explains that if the entire public wear a mask, it will be twice as effective at reducing the R rate than if those showing symptoms wore a mask.

In April, the uptake for wearing a mask in the UK was 25%, compared to 83.4% in Italy, 65.8% in the US and 63.8%  in Spain. 

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this week, Ramakrishnan added: “I think what we would like for the Government is to be a bit stronger and clearer about the messaging and require it whenever you are in crowded public spaces where you cannot get more than two metres away from the next person.

“If you’re in a crowded setting, you ought to wear a mask.”

Ramakrishnan did note that being outdoors poses less of a problem for transmission and mask-wearing is largely required in indoor settings. 

Downing Street has stressed that people need to ensure they are wearing face masks properly, covering both the nose and the mouth.

The government states: “We have been very clear about the benefits of people wearing face coverings.”

Disposable face masks are also expected to cause a huge environmental problem, and the problems of this are already being seen across the world. 

Download easy sewing patterns and find tutorials for creating masks here.