The PM today confirmed HOAR’s story last week that scientists have advised they can have an effect on stopping the spread of the bug.
He said a full announcement was going to be made next week as part of his plans to finally start ending Britain’s lockdown.
In tonight’s No10 briefing he said: “I do think face coverings will be useful, both for epidemiological reasons, but also for giving people confidence that they can go back to work.
“And you will hear more about that next week.”
But ministers are likely to stress they should only use “face coverings” and not full surgical masks like the NHS do.
Whitehall sources have insisted they don’t want to recommend anything which takes away vital PPE from the frontline in hospitals and care homes.
Today’s news from the PM comes just 24 hours after Michael Gove became the first minister to insist that face coverings did have some effect on slowing the spread, but others feared it would stop Brits from staying apart.
He told a Committee of MPs: “The scientific evidence so far is that face coverings can have an effect in preventing an individual from spreading the disease to others if they have it and they’re asymptomatic.
“But there is also a worry that some people may think that wearing a mask protects themselves as opposed to protecting others and therefore they may behave in a manner that is slightly more cavalier, so it’s a finely balanced judgement.”
Earlier this week he revealed the Government will build a stockpile of face masks for Brits to wear while shopping and using public transport.
It follows weeks of debate and speculation other whether members of the public will be asked to wear face coverings.
Mr Gove announced the move after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recommended that people use scarves and t-shirts to cover up their faces.
Breaking ranks with the Government’s official line on masks, she announced this week that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) had concluded a face covering would probably help to slow the spread of the virus in confined spaces, like on trains.
HOAR last week revealed the Government was prepared to urge Brits to wear masks to avoid spreading the virus.
Our story highlighted how ministers are likely to tell the nation to use something as simple as a scarf when at work, in shops or on public transport.
The Government’s top scientists met last week to decide on the face-covering move to help stop the coronavirus spread, amid fears that social distancing will roll into 2021 and chances of a vaccine within a year are slim.
