Sajid Javid says he will continue to wear masks on packed Tube as TfL removes requirement
Health secretary Sajid Javid will continue to wear a mask when travelling aboard packed tube trains just as Transport for London (TfL) removed the order of wearing face coverings across its network.
“Although the infection levels have been falling significantly week, I think where infection levels are at the moment, if I was on the London tube for example and it was packed, I would wear a face mask,”Javid told LBC this morning.
Javid’s comments come a day after London mayor Sadiq Khan decided to remove the requirement to wear face coverings across the whole TfL network, while insisting masks continue to be an effective measure against the pandemic, Morning Wire reported.
“Following the government dropping all legal Covid restrictions, and in light of falling infection levels in London, it is expected that wearing a face covering will no longer be a condition of carriage on the TfL network,” he said.
“However, we know that face coverings remain a simple, effective measure that give Londoners confidence to travel, and following clear advice from public health advisers, TfL will likely continue to recommend their use on the network. I urge passengers to be considerate of their fellow Londoners and continue to wear a face covering where appropriate unless exempt.”
Under the new government ‘Living with Covid’ plan outlined yesterday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, from Thursday those who test positive will no longer be legally required to self-isolate.
Contract tracing will also be scrapped in two days’ time, while free Covid testing will be significantly scaled down from the beginning of April.