Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health benefits of wearing protective masks in public; what different types of protective masks they have considered; and for each of those types of masks, what assessment they have made of the change to their health benefits when social contact is at (1) two metres, (2) one metre, and (3) zero metres.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies considered the very limited evidence available on the use of face coverings and advised that there was some positive benefit for reducing the transmission of COVID-19. However, the main ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are social distancing and washing hands regularly.

The Government is now advising wearing a face covering in situations where it is difficult to manage social distancing and there may be close contact with people the wearer would not usually meet, such as on public transport. Guidance on how to wear and make a cloth face covering was published on 11 May in an online only format on GOV.UK. This guidance provides instruction on two methods of making a face covering.

A face covering is not the same as a face mask, such as the surgical masks or respirators used as part of personal protective equipment by healthcare and other workers. In the context of use for COVID-19, a face covering simply means something which safely covers the nose and mouth area and may be as simple as a scarf or a bandana that is easily washed.

No assessment has been made of the change to a face covering’s health benefit when social contact is at two, one and zero metres.