OFFER BY COMPANY BOSSES AHEAD OF PRIME MINISTER WANTING US ALL TO COVER UP ONCE MEASURES EASED

SHOPWORKERS in Atherstone could soon be wearing masks during Covid lockdown as Boris Johnson confirms the public will be asked to cover up when virus measures are lifted.

Aldi has offered face masks to its entire store-based workforce to protect staff during the pandemic.

The decision comes in addition to screens being installed at their checkouts and gloves made available for workers while the supermarket has also introuced a voucher scheme to make it easier for volunteers to buy food on behalf of the vulnerable and those self-isolating.

It is currently not compulsory to wear a mask or face covering as the UK Government was considering evidence from experts on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

But Boris Johnson said a full announcement was going to be made next week as part of a "comprehensive plan" on how to get people back to work and children back to school, after taking advice from Sage.

At the No10 briefing, the Prime Minister said: "What I think Sage is saying, and what I certainly agree with, is that as part of coming out of the lockdown, I do think that face coverings will be useful both for epidemiological reasons but also for giving people confidence they can go back to work.

"And you will hear more about that next week."

There has been some concern that individuals may be overly cautious about returning to work when measures are eased, after weeks of strong messaging from the Government. Experts have argued that coverings are unlikely to prevent an individual from contracting the virus but may reduce the number of infected people who are not showing symptoms from spreading Covid-19. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already recommended people in Scotland wear coverings in places where staying two metres apart was challenging, such as in shops and on public transport. But chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has said there is only "quite weak" evidence to show that masks help prevent the transmission of coronavirus. Mr Johnson said the UK was "past the peak" of the virus outbreak, but stressed the country must not "risk a second spike".

Some 26,771 people have now died with the virus in the UK, a rise of 674.

This latest figure pus the UK in third place in the global death tally behind Italy (27,967) and the US (63,861). The world total is now 234,000.

America's one million recorded cases makes up a third of the global total of 3.3m people testing positive for the virus.

The UK has seen its confirmed cases pass the 170,000 mark – Thursday's figure being up a further 6,032 to 171,253. It has now overtaken the German and French totals and put the UK in fourth place in the 'case' league table

Kent remains the UK's 'hot spot' for coronavirus in the upper tier local authority table with 3,331 people testing positive for the virus – Birmingham remains in second spot with 2,801.

Warwickshire has 1,141 confirmed cases, Coventry is on 654 – Atherstone's neighbouring county Staffordshire is in 10th place has 1,697 cases and Leicestershire 906.

By region, London now has 24,297 cases, East and West Midlands is 19,615 combined, the North West 18,253 and the South East 16,831.