Boris Johnson has today announced that England’s two-metre social distancing rule is to be reduced to one metre.
Speaking at the House of Commons, the Prime Minister said: “Where it is possible to keep two metres apart people should.
“But where it is not, we will advise people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’, meaning they should remain one metre apart, while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission.”
Such measures are widely known to include wearing face masks and being separated by screens.
Now, one expert has revealed the mitigation measures that you can take to reduce your risk of catching the virus.
His tips include some rather unusual methods, including talking more quietly, and changing your orientation towards other people.
Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, said: “The key thing about reducing the risk of transmission is that it is not all about the distance, whether that be 2m or 1m.
“There are other mitigation measures which are available including: limiting the duration of close proximity; limiting the number of people in a given space; limiting the number of contacts between households; use of face coverings; use of screens; increasing rates of ventilation; talking more quietly; orientation of one person to another; use of technology to reduce contact such as more transactions or ordering things from your phone; and of course regular cleaning and hand-washing.”
Dr Fitzgerald added that if Brits follow these measures, then the new one-metre rule could prove a success.
He added: “If we think of all these potential mitigation measures as levers available to help control the pandemic, then I can understand why the particular combination chosen at any moment in time might vary depending on the circumstances and of course where we are on the curve.”
The new one-metre rule has been introduced following an expert review into the effectiveness of the two-metre rule.
Mr Johnson added: "I know this rule effectively makes life impossible for large parts of our economy, even without other restrictions.
"For example, it prevents all but a fraction of our hospitality industry from operating.
"So that is why almost two weeks ago, I asked our experts to conduct a review and I will place a summary of their conclusions in the libraries of both Houses this week."
