UK ‘not considering’ face masks in offices after France makes them mandatory

Health secretary Matt Hancock has said that the government does not intend to follow France’s decision to make face coverings a requirement in offices. His comments came after France’s Ministry of Labour announced on Tuesday that face masks would be mandatory from the beginning of September in the workplace, with the exception of private offices. In response to a question about France’s move, Mr Hancock told the BBC: “We constantly look at the scientific advice and the answer here is we’re not currently considering doing that.” The health secretary said that evidence from the test and trace programme suggests that most infections in the UK have been passed on from one household to another.