Oxfordshire County Council urges people to wear face coverings and stay alert as lockdown restrictions are eased

Per government guidance, any resident using public transport, or in an enclosed public space where social distancing isn’t possible, must wear a non-surgical face covering to help reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.

A face covering isn’t the same as medical-grade PPE face masks. These will continue to be reserved for those working in a high-risk environment, such as health and social care.

Cloth face coverings may help to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, but not symptoms.

It’s important to remember however that face coverings do not replace existing social distancing guidance. People should continue to maintain social distancing from those not in their household, and isolate themselves, or someone else in the same home show symptoms.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Public Health Ansaf Azhar reiterated the importance of staying alert.

He said: “as we are now into the warm summer months, it’s great that we have been able to ease some aspects of lockdown. However, it’s vital we do not become complacent about the risk, and continue to abide by government guidance if we are to keep infection rates down.”