New Covid strain: Should we wear masks again in the UK?

Health chiefs urged Brits to 'ratchet up precautions' to protect the service Commuters today were seen wearing face coverings after health bosses urged Britons to protect the NHS amid record pressures and a new Covid variant. She is surrounded by commuters, some of whom are wearing masks Commuters on the London Underground wore masks this morning following new advice to curb rising flu and Covid infections Ambulances wait outside Portsmouth Hospital due to shortages of rooms as patients wait inside the vehicles for hours Nurse and ambulance strikes are the 'last thing' the NHS needs this month, health chief warns A leading health chief has urged the Government to reopen talks with unions over pay, saying the 'last thing' the NHS needs is four days of strikes in January. Commuters on the London Underground during rush hour this morning wore masks amid warnings from experts to 'ratchet up precautions' The Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.5, which already makes up one in 25 cases in the UK, is expected to pile even more pressure on the NHS in the coming weeks Experts have called for further measures to prevent the spread of the strain such as wearing masks in crowded places Pictured: London shoppers wearing masks in shops along Oxford Street today Pictured: London shoppers wearing masks in shops along Oxford Street today Ambulances wait outside Portsmouth Hospital due to shortages of rooms as patients wait inside the vehicles for hours Last week one in five ambulance patients in England waited more than an hour to be handed over to A&E teams Shoppers — some wearing face masks — wait outside a Boots store in west London yesterday amid fears around the 'twindemic' of Covid and flu Do YOU think face masks should be brought back? The figure has jumped 29 per cent in a week Figures from the Sanger Institute, one of the UK's largest Covid surveillance centres, shows 4 per cent of cases in the week to December 17 were caused by XBB.1.5 December 17 marked the first time XBB.1.5 was listed on the institute's virus dashboard, which is updated weekly Cranleigh Medical Practice, a GP surgery in Surrey, last month urged patients on its site for any reason to return to mask wearing due to the 'rapid rise in winter illnesses'. Return of the MASKS: Health chiefs urge people to wear face coverings and say anyone feeling ill should 'stay at home' in echo of pandemic era — as medics claim the NHS is under more pressure than at the height of Covid Travellers from China who test positive for Covid will NOT have to self-isolate despite fears country's virus chaos may spawn new doomsday variant after wake-up call of the 'Kraken' XBB NEW Covid variant XBB.1.5 that is already behind one in 25 cases in the UK is a 'wakeup call' and could worsen the NHS crisis, experts warn