This article is more than 5 months old

This article is more than 5 months old

Steve Rotheram is the latest mayor to urge people to wear masks in public after Sadiq Khan called on the government to make them compulsory on transport in London during the coronavirus outbreak.

The metro mayor of Liverpool city region said wearing any type of face covering meant Britons were likely to “go further in protecting [themselves] and other people”.

Rotheram added: “I support Sadiq. I’ve spoken with him on a number of occasions. Sometimes, because we are slightly behind London [in terms of the infection rate], Sadiq’s thinking is ahead of the rest of the country.

“Does it 100% protect anybody else? No. But I think if you’ve got a mask on you’re much more aware of your circumstances so I think it’s the right thing to do.”

On Friday morning, the mayor of London said evidence around the world suggested face masks were effective in curbing the spread of the virus, despite UK public health experts not yet recommending the use of the coverings.

He was later backed by Sir Keir Starmer, who said it was inevitable the government would have to start advising people to wear masks.

The Labour leader said: “Across Europe I think the advice is changing on face masks. I would like to talk to the government on that, because I don’t want to set up rival strategies or rival theories going forward. But it would be sensible.”

It follows U-turns on guidance around the world, including in New York, where the use of face masks in public where physical distancing is not possible was made compulsory on Wednesday.

Similar schemes are being operated in a number of French cities, as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

UK government guidance advises people to stay 2 metres apart from anyone outside their household when in public, but does not mention the use of masks.

Khan said face masks should not be considered a substitute for physical distancing, but as a protective measure in instances where it was difficult to follow the guidelines – such as in shops or on public transport.

“What I’m lobbying for is for when it comes to those circumstances where it’s just not possible to keep your public distance, think of public transport, think of a shop, for people to wear a non-medical facial covering,” he told Sky News.

Khan added that people should not buy surgical masks, but wear face coverings including bandanas, scarves or reusable masks.

His comments came as it was announced bus travel in the capital will in effect be free from Monday, when passengers will all start boarding through the middle door. They will not be required to “tap in” to pay, with most buses having only Oyster or contactless card readers at the front beside the driver.

Transport for London said a trial of the scheme on 140 buses had demonstrated the move could allow sufficient social distancing on buses, with numbers having dropped dramatically during the coronavirus lockdown. Passenger journeys on buses are down 85% in the capital.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said medical masks should be prioritised for health workers rather than the general public, although they can be useful in preventing the spread of the virus for those who have Covid-19 symptoms.

The WHO special envoy Dr David Nabarro has suggested that the widespread use of masks will become “the norm” during the coronavirus outbreak.

Shaun Bailey, the Conservative mayoral candidate for London in next year’s election, criticised Khan over the comments, accusing him of not using his powers to protect Transport for London staff.

“The mayor knows as well as anyone that nothing is stopping him from providing PPE [personal protective equipment] to every London transport worker if he wanted to,” he said on Twitter. “Stop picking fights with the government to score political points. You’re the mayor. It’s time to take responsibility and act.”

Bailey told the BBC he had sourced 600,000 face masks and vinyl gloves, which could protect every London bus worker for 30 days.

A spokesperson for the mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said a similar scheme would not be considered for the region because it did not have a problem with busy transport services.

“I think up here people have done a very good job of keeping safe public distances. There’s not really a major need for [face masks],” the spokesperson said, adding that the priority was to ensure health workers had access to PPE.

Figures published by the Department of Health and Social Care on Thursday showed that 13,729 people had died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus. Across the country, 103,093 people have tested positive for the disease.

The capital remains the centre of the outbreak, accounting for 3,377 of the total deaths so far.

The government has been repeatedly criticised in recent days over its lack of a plan to exit the lockdown, as well as the shortage of PPE – including masks – available to frontline workers.

When announcing on Wednesday that lockdown measures in Germany would be gradually eased, the chancellor, Angela Merkel, recommended the public use of masks in shops and on public transport.