Cloth face masks should be worn by everyone to prevent coronavirus transmission, a group of doctors has said.

Doctors across the UK have lent their support to ‘Masks4allUK’, a movement set up by medical professionals in the wake of the Government’s reluctance to make mass-wearing of facial masks compulsory.

In a bid to stop further transmission of coronavirus, the group has urged the public to either make, or purchase online, their own reusable cotton masks and to wear them any time they leave their home.

It added that wearing cloth masks, made from materials found in the home, would not detract from surgical masks for the NHS and other key workers.

Cllr Dr Helen Davison, one of the founders of the campaign, told The Telegraph that the group was “advocating the use of cloth masks as a precautionary principle” and that it had been inspired by action taken in other countries “that have introduced facemasks at population level”, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.

In Germany several regions and cities signaled to Angela Merkel's government that they did not see its advice on face masks as adequate, with two states announcing individual measures to enforce face mask usage.

It comes after the city of Jena saw new cases of coronavirus flatline since it brought in compulsory masks on April 6th.

“While evidence isn’t absolute it shows they are helpful so we should be encouraging them,” Dr Davison added, as she said the medical professionals involved in with the movement were “convinced” that the wearing of masks was as important as washing hands and social distancing.

“The end goal is to make the British public wear masks when they go out.”