Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the reasons for his decision to require people providing social contact within a care setting to wear face masks as published in updated guidance on 15 December 2022.

Changes to the ‘COVID-19 supplement to the infection prevention and control resource for adult social care’ guidance were published on 15 December 2022 following consultation with the sector and a review of the latest public health advice. Guidance is constantly under review, with the latest update enabling providers to risk assess the proportionate use of masks while continuing to outline instances where face masks are recommended in line with public health advice. This means that in most situations, people providing social contact will not have to wear masks.