Wearing a face mask while out in public may feel like a distant memory for some.
But two warnings have been issued about wearing face coverings while out and about just this week. It comes as a new Covid strain, XXB.1.5, has been labelled a 'wake up call' for the country.
There are growing concerns that the new variant could put more pressure on the NHS. It comes after the Leeds NHS trust warned of a rise in people reporting "flu-like" symptoms attending A&E.
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And York and Scarborough NHS trust declared a 'critical incident' on Tuesday (January 4) due to the "very high" number of patients being forced to wait for beds across its eight hospitals. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said unwell people should avoid going out unless it is urgent.
England's Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, has issued similar advice as he advised people to get vaccinated for both flu and coronavirus. He added wearing a mask is "sensible." Mark Harper told LBC: “If you do go out, clearly wearing a mask is very sensible if you are ill."
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