ITV Good Morning Britain’s Dr Hilary Jones has slammed Boris Johnson for not wearing a mask when he visited a hospital on Monday.
Discussing the topic with hosts Susanna Reid and Martin Lewis, Dr Hilary criticised the Prime Minister for not “setting an example” during his visit to Hexham general hospital in Northumberland.
The presenters highlighted a Telegraph report which revealed that 11,688 people have died after catching coronavirus in hospital.
Susanna said: “We know the rules around wearing face masks indoors are starting to loosen up... we don’t have to wear a mask anymore inside, but surely in a clinical setting like a hospital you do.”
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Dr Hilary replied: “Yes, absolutely. He should have been wearing a mask. You should be setting an example, especially in a hospital where today's headlines scream 11,600 People caught COVID in a hospital. The Prime Minister goes in there without a mask.
"It’s ridiculous and nobody had the guts to say ‘Prime Minister, put a mask on or you can't come in’."
He added: “Remember, this government has not made vaccination for NHS staff mandatory.
"This government didn't provide them with PPH, protective gear at the beginning.
“They didn't act on the sickness exercise that was done two years before the pandemic. They want more doctors to see patients face-to-face, which will increase transmission.
"So they don't seem to understand how infection works. And to blame the NHS when they've done so much... I mean, it's a very transmissible respiratory virus. These patients were all very ill when they went into hospital, where were they going to treat them if it wasn't in hospital?"
He added: "So it's about personal responsibility and people socially distancing and washing their hands and wearing masks in hospital when they visit, like the Prime Minister doesn't, that has caused this kind of problem."
The government is expected to announce later today that coronavirus vaccination will be made compulsory for NHS staff in England.
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