(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said he will continue to wear a mask on a packed Tube train because the number of Covid infections in London is still high.
The legal requirement to wear face coverings in public settings was scrapped by the Government earlier this year, but TfL insisted travellers still wear masks as a condition of carriage.
All coronavirus restrictions are due to end in England on Thursday and free mass testing will stop from April 1.
But Mr Javid said he would continue to wear a mask on busy Tube trains in London.
He told LBC: “For now, although the infection levels have been falling significantly week after week, I think where infection levels are at the moment if I was on the London tube for example and it was packed, I would wear a face mask.”
The capital has seen around 5,000 new infections a day in the last week, roughly half the number at this time in January.
City Hall has confirmed that compulsory mask wearing will be scrapped on its transport network after the government ends all remaining Covid restrictions - including the duty to isolate for those who test positive - under its "living with Covid" plan.
When asked how people would know when it was safe not to wear masks on public transport, Mr Javid said authorities would set out guidance but commuters would have to take “personal responsibility”.
He added: “I would look at what’s the general prevalence of where case numbers are, where infection numbers are, what hospitalisation number we have. We provide that data on a daily basis and it is there for for everyone to see.
“I think taking all that into account, I would make a decision.”
