Matt Hancock has been urged to consider requiring people to wear medical-grade masks in shops and on public transport
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth urged Mr Hancock to review government guidance on face coverings in light of new variants of Covid-19.
Currently guidance states that face coverings required in some public spaces include items like scarves and bandanas.
Some medical-grade masks have been shown to also provide protection to the wearer against airborne virus particles.
Mr Ashworth says these masks protect others, but not the wearer of the face covering.
In a letter to the Health Secretary he called for medical-grade masks to be required in shops, on public transport and in some other indoor public spaces like places of worship.
Germany, Austria and France have all made medical-grade masks compulsory in some public spaces within the last month.
"Given yesterday’s news that new and unexplained community cases of the South African 501.V2 Covid-19 variant have been found in the South of England, this review is urgent," Mr Ashworth wrote.
He added: "I also reiterate my recent call for an urgent review into PPE guidance for healthcare workers, for increased stockpiles of FFP3 masks for all NHS employees, and for a switch away from a “one size fits all” approach to PPE in the NHS.
"I urge you to take a precautionary approach to rapidly updating these PPE guidelines to ensure staff are fully protected.
"In this I echo the concerns of the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The most important and effective actions members of the public can take for protection is to wear a face covering where necessary, staying at home unless leaving is absolutely necessary and maintaining a two-metre social distance when in public.
“We continue to review the emerging scientific evidence and advice from clinicians and update advice accordingly.”
