Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance has warned people may have to wear face masks next winter to tackle coronavirus.
During a Downing Street press conference Sir Patrick said some measures may need to be brought back next winter, such as mask-wearing, staying off work if sick with a respiratory virus and more regular hand-washing.
He said: "It's possible that coming into next winter in particular, certain things may be necessary.
"And Tony Fauci yesterday said in the US that he thought that things like masks may be needed next winter.
"I think we're in the same position that it may be necessary next winter to have things like mask-wearing in certain situations.
"Hand hygiene should remain part of the norm. Making sure that if we get the sorts of symptoms that we know are associated with Covid we stay off work.
"Having an effective test, trace and isolate system still in place will be an important part of the baseline measures that we're talking about.
"And taking individual responsibility for thinking about where there's an environment in which there could be a risk particularly during the winter months, are the sorts of things that I think we should expect for next winter."
And Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that coronavirus was likely to be a problem in winter "for the next few winters".
He said coronavirus was "likely to be a problem, in particular, in the winter for the next few winters".
He also said the country would need to get used to a certain number of Covid-19 deaths every year as the virus would not be eliminated.
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He said: "Every year in the UK, as in every other country, you get substantial numbers of people dying from respiratory infections.
"Flu kills around 9,000 a year, and bad years are significantly more, but there are also pneumonia and adenoviruses and other respiratory infections.
"I'm afraid, for the foreseeable future, coronavirus is going to be added to that list of things that those who are vulnerable - even despite vaccination - can be at risk of."
