Patrick Vallance says masks will have to be worn until winter 2021

The Government’s chief scientific adviser has warned that masks will need to be worn until next winter.

Sir Patrick Vallance said the UK is unlikely to get back to a semblance of normality before spring, and that we might still need our face masks next winter.

He explained that despite knowing that the vaccine prevents the virus taking hold in the body, it is not yet known if it prevents transmission among the vaccinated to the non-vaccinated.

 It is important we all stick to the rules in the meantime – the rules are what’s keeping the virus down.

It may be that next winter even with vaccination we need measures like masks in place – we don’t know yet how good all the vaccines are going to be at preventing the transmission of the virus.”

Last week there was a disagreement when deputy chief medical officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said he expected coronavirus would never disappear, to the apparent annoyance of Boris Johnson.

He said at a Downing Street press briefing: “I think it’s going to be with humankind forever.

“I think we may get to a point where coronavirus becomes a seasonal problem.

“I don’t want to draw too many parallels with flu but, possibly, that is the kind of way we would learn to live with it.”

He added: “Do I think there will come a moment when we can have a big party and throw our masks and hand sanitiser and say ‘that’s it, it’s behind us’ like the end of the war? No I don’t.”

Professor Van-Tam said that the measures we have adopted to protect ourselves “may persist for many years and that may be a good thing”.