“The prime minister has been clear that people should wear face shields in stores and we will make it mandatory starting July 24.”
The report’s authors caution that Covid-19 is “more likely to spread in winter, as people spend more time indoors and the virus can survive longer in cooler, darker winter conditions.”
In the document, experts warn that “intense preparation” is urgently needed in the remaining summer months to reduce the risk of the health service being overwhelmed and to save lives next winter.
The scientists said that a combination of the possibility of an influenza epidemic, a backlog of patients needing treatment and the disruption already created in the healthcare system by Covid-19 posed a “serious health risk in the UK”.
Models suggested that there would be a spike in hospital admissions and deaths in January and February 2021 similar to or worse than the first wave of the virus this spring, which would coincide with peak demand in the UK health service.
“This is not a prediction, but it is a possibility,” Professor Stephen Holgate, a respiratory specialist at Southampton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who chaired the report, said in a statement.
He said the model suggests that deaths could be higher with a new wave of Covid-19 this winter, “but the risk of this happening could be reduced if we take immediate action.”
Minimizing community transmission, reducing transmission in hospitals and nursing homes, increasing testing capacity and vaccinating against influenza were necessary to prevent such a situation, according to the report.
Ramakrishnan added that not wearing a mask should be considered as antisocial as driving under the influence and reasoned that there is “a growing body of evidence that wearing a mask will help protect others, and may even protect you.”
On Monday morning, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “important” to cover your face in an enclosed space.
Johnson’s comments came after high-ranking government minister Michael Gove said Sunday that he does not believe the use of face masks should be applied as a mandatory measure.
The Downing Street statement added that store employees and retailers should encourage customers to comply, but the police will carry out the application.
Children under 11 and people with disabilities will be exempt. Regulations will state that those who do not wear a mask can face a fine of up to £ 100 ($ 125).
Still, questions have been raised as to why face masks in stores have not been made mandatory as soon as possible, and the fines will apply from July 24.
In June, the World Health Organization updated its recommendations, calling on nations to encourage the general public to wear cloth masks in areas where there is still an intense spread of the new coronavirus, and that all health workers and caregivers wear medical masks at all times. their change while in clinical areas.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says everyone “should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example, to the supermarket or to pick up other necessities.”
The UK government guide since May has advised the public to wear face covers in closed public spaces where they can come into contact with people they would not generally know. Facial masks have been compulsory on public transport in England since mid-June.
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