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Ministers should consider making the use of face masks mandatory in crowded workplaces, schools and outdoor spaces to help control the new COVID-19 variant, government advisers have said.
the variant it could represent 63% of cases in England and 77% in London, suggest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Hygiene and social distancing measures will need a “radical change in rigor” to compensate for the “significantly increased risk of transmission” associated with the variant, according to a report by the behavioral sciences group that reports to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE ). .
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The science behind face masks
The two-meter rule will likely need to be reinstated and people who have been vaccinated should be urged not to compromise protective measures, said the Environmental Modeling Group, Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviors and Transmission Group document. .
The advisers said more measures to reduce person-to-person contact are “likely necessary”, such as extending Level 4 restrictions or introducing a national blockade.
Other suggestions include “changing the way” schools and universities and increasing travel restrictions between regions and internationally.
Minutes from a meeting involving ministers and SAGE on December 22 revealed that members warned that schools should be closed to reduce transmission.
Even a full lockdown similar to the first shutdown last spring would be unlikely to bring the R number down to less than 1.
the Environmental Modeling Group, Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviors, and Transmission Group report said: “As a consequence of the uncertainty surrounding the mechanisms for increased transmission, improved mitigation measures are likely to be needed, including: reconsidering the 2-meter rule and requiring that when regular interactions of less 2 meters, this should include properly worn face covers. “
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The group suggested improving ventilation measures and “reinforcing the importance of wearing face coverings, even in settings where they are not currently required, such as education, workplaces and crowded outdoor spaces.”
“This is important even when people are separated by more than 2 million,” they said.
The advisers recommended “specifying higher performance face masks and covers,” which comes as some activists have criticized the efficacy of reusable faces. More expensive sold by retailers.
Multi-layer face masks are more effective than single-layer masks, they said.
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A “tighter fit to the face” and ensuring that people wear them correctly by covering their nose and mouth are also important factors in reducing transmission.
The new variant is estimated to spread up to 70% faster, but SAGE said there is “no evidence” of changes in “transmission routes” or how long it lives on surfaces.
Government advisers said a “positive feedback” campaign should be launched telling people that its effects to control the virus are working, but must be intensified.
There were 55,892 new coronavirus cases reported Thursday and another 964 deaths in the UK.
