Office workers could have to start wearing face masks as the government sets out its road map for getting Britain back at their desks, it has been reported.
Ministers are said to be meeting with several major employers to discuss how staff can be brought back into work without risking a second wave of coronavirus. There are also concerns about how to ensure employees feel confident and assured while returning to an office environment.
Boris Johnson is expected to deliver a plan to get working Brits back to normal this Friday. The government believes that restaurants, pubs, shops and services will bounce back faster if people aren’t working from home.
One senior government source said they are following ’emerging evidence’ that face masks help people protect both others and themselves from the potential threat of coronavirus.
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They told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Wearing face coverings at work is already part of our guidance in some settings.’
Business representative groups are now thought to be in conversation with the Department for Business, Energy about the potential new guidance.
Another source told the publication there were ‘no current plans’ to recommend that face coverings are worn everywhere, but added that ‘things are moving very quickly and nothing can be ruled out’.
They continued: ‘We spent a long time saying we wouldn’t tell people to wear them in shops, but now that’s what we’ve done.’
Matt Hancock confirmed on Tuesday that face coverings would be mandatory in shops and supermarkets across England from July 24. Those who refuse to wear one can be asked to leave by members of staff, or even fined up to £100 by the police.
Some police officers have since said they were blindsided by the announcment, with the Police Federation describing it as ‘unrealistic and unfair’ to expect officers to stand guard by shops in case someone doesn’t follow the rules.
Chairman John Apter said: ‘Policing the wearing of face coverings in shops can’t be a priority because we simply don’t have the resources.’
He added that police should get involved in people wearing face masks only as a ‘last resort’.
It comes as government sources told the Daily Mirror that the UK could be wearing mandatory face coverings until a coronavirus vaccine is eventually found.
They said: ‘We are not doing this with a timeline in mind. This is part of the new normal. Until we get a vaccine we are going to have to be doing a lot of these things.’
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called on the government to ‘be honest and clear’ with the public about how long they will have to wear a mask, as ‘it’s likely to last for months’.
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