The government will tell people using public transport to wear non-medical face coverings later today, according to London mayor Sadiq Khan.
“Today, the Government will be issuing guidance on people in a confined space and cannot keep their social distance, for example using public transport, should wear non-medical facial coverings to stop themselves inadvertently passing on the virus,” he told Sky News. Transport staff in London will begin wearing “basic masks”, he said.
He warned that the capital can’t increase its transport capacity much more without passengers breaching social distancing guidelines. It follows the government urging people who cannot work from home to commute to work from Wednesday, avoiding public transport when possible.
“Please only use public transport if you absolutely have to. And if you do, avoid the rush hour,” Khan said.
“And any employers asking people to come back to work – stagger your shifts and start times.”