The Government is preparing to tell Brits to cover their faces in public with a Covid-19 vaccine unlikely for a year, according to reports.

Downing Street will urge people to wear masks or scarves around their mouths at work or while they are out and about, amid fears social distancing measures will continue into next year, it is claimed.

The Sun reports that a meeting this week saw the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies drawing up a plan, which could limit those infected but without symptoms from spreading the disease.

It comes as Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned any chance of a vaccine in the next year is "incredibly small".

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He said in the long run the "exit" from the pandemic will be either a vaccine or "highly effective drugs" so that people can "stop dying of this disease even if they catch it".

But said either of those before 2021 is unlikely and the country needs to be "realistic about that" and "rely on other social measures".

“It’s going to take a long time," he added.

As previously reported, Brits are unlikely to see a return to full normal life during this calendar year.

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And the new face-covering guidance could be introduced as early as the weekend following weeks of talks, reports The Sun.

The new potential guidance is not thought to be compulsory, though this may change as lockdown is slowly lifted in the future months.

People will not be urged to wear medical-grade masks either to ensure the NHS has enough, with supplies running low, a Whitehall source told the newspaper.

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“If you actually have symptoms you need to isolate, full stop," the source said.

“A cloth mask is not a replacement for staying at home and nobody should think otherwise."

And while No10 is following SAGE's advice it won't be supplying free masks, according to health secretary Matt Hancock.

Prof Whitty went on to say SAGE is mulling over options to loosen some restrictions, though warned ministers they will need to make "trade-offs" when reviewing lockdown before May 7.

He said no restrictions could be altered until the transmission rate is below one person giving it one other.

“We have to be very realistic if people are hoping it’s suddenly going to move from where we are in lockdown to where suddenly everything is gone," Prof Whitty continued.

“That is a wholly unrealistic expectation.

“If you release more on one area, you have to keep on board more of another area so there’s a proper trade-off.”

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Government officials are referring to whatever happens after the three-week lockdown extension as the "next phase" with the word 'exit' reportedly barred from discussions.

Brits have been previously warned that lifting measures will be stop-start as experts try to work out what impact changes will have on the spread of the disease.