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Wearing face coverings becomes compulsory on public transport in England

Wearing face coverings will be compulsory on public transport in England from 15 June, the transport secretary has said.

Grant Shapps said “every precaution” must be taken as passenger numbers were expected to increase when lockdown measures were eased further.

Coverings must be worn on buses, trams, trains, coaches, aircraft and ferries.

Very young children, disabled people and those with breathing difficulties would be exempt, he said.

It comes as the UK recorded the deaths of another 176 people who tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths in the UK to 39,904.

Speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing, Mr Shapps said face coverings would be “a condition of travel” and not wearing one could “ultimately” lead to a fine.

But he added: “Why wouldn’t people want to do the right thing?”

He said surgical masks must be kept for clinical settings and instead travellers should wear the kind of face covering that could be made at home. They should cover the mouth and nose and can be as simple as a scarf or bandanna tied snugly behind the head.

Mr Shapps also stressed that social distancing and regular hand washing were still the most important measures to prevent the disease spreading.

The rule change coincides with the planned reopening of non-essential retail and return of some secondary school pupils in England from 15 June, which Mr Shapps said would put “more pressure” on the public transport network.

The British Medical Association (BMA), however, has questioned why the government was waiting until mid-June to bring in the new measure, saying the risk of the virus would be “much less” if it was brought in straight away.

The doctors’ union also said it would like to see compulsory face coverings in other areas of public life, where social distancing was not possible, and suggested the government should supply the public with face coverings.

Earlier, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her government was considering whether to make it mandatory to wear face coverings in some situations.

Scotland currently recommends wearing coverings in shops and on public transport.

In Wales, face coverings have not yet been recommended for the general public. In Northern Ireland, people have been told to consider wearing them in places where they cannot observe social distancing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently says only two groups of people should wear protective masks – those who are sick and showing symptoms and those who are caring for people with suspected coronavirus.

The WHO does not usually recommend them for the public because they can be contaminated by other people’s coughs and sneezes, or when putting them on, or taking them off.

Source BBC News

Advice to employers on public transport use

The Rail Delivery Group  has recently issued guidance for employers on train journeys. It asks for support in reducing the number of journeys taken, suggests booking tickets in advance and asks passengers to carry and use hand sanitiser. Details will shortly be announced of a new online system for showing in real-time which trains are more, or less, busy.