Matt Hancock has revealed why it won't be necessary for teachers and office workers to wear masks when they return to work.
The Health Secretary was appearing on ITV daytime show Lorraine to clear up some confusion around the mandatory introduction of face for people using shops in England from July 24.
Lorraine was keen to try and find out more information including whether office workers and teachers will need to use face masks once they return to work.
You can see the Health Secretary revealing why they wouldn't necessarily need to wear them in the video above.
Lorraine said: "We know that people are slowly getting back to work.
"Will we see in the future, perhaps, people having to wear masks, maybe in the offices if it's needed in shops?
"And generally, what about public spaces too? Is this something that we're just going to have to live with now? It's going to be the new normal?
Responding, Matt Hancock revealed: "Well, in shops it is in the same way it is in public transport.
"In offices, I don't expect that.
"The reason is, that where a mask can be useful is where you're seeing somebody for a short to medium amount of time.
"If you're in the same room as them, all day, like whether in an office together, or for instance, teachers in schools, then we don't think masks make much difference, because you're in that same space with the same people.
"Whereas on public transport, in shops, you're seeing different people and for relatively short periods of time, so the mask can help."
One Twitter user said: 'Schools are the FIRST place they should be making masks mandatory in.', with another adding: 'That makes no sense whatsoever. If I’m sitting in an office for 8 hours a day with people that are mixing with god knows who & germs circulating through air con...'
Lorraine returns weekdays from 9am on ITV.
