UK government orders expanded use of face masks in English hospitals

FILE PHOTO: NHS workers react at the Royal London Hospital during the last day of the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

All visitors to hospitals in England will be required to wear face coverings and all hospital staff must wear surgical masks from June 15, health minister Matt Hancock said on Friday.

The announcement comes a day after the government said it would make face coverings mandatory on public transport.

The British government had initially said there was inconclusive evidence on the ability of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

(Reporting by William James, editing by Andy Bruce)