How effective are face masks and should we keep wearing them after July 19?
Sign up to FREE email alerts from the Northern Agenda Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice  Face coverings are now a regular sight on public transport, in shops, restaurants and other settings. But the government has confirmed that the final stage of Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown will see the legal requirement to wear them come to an end. Ministers have insisted that that doesn't mean we should be throwing our face masks in the bin, however. READ MORE: The rules around going to the pub, bars and nightclubs from Monday July 19  From July 19, face coverings in public places will be optional - and it will be up to the public to exercise 'personal responsibility' in deciding whether they want to wear one. Research suggests that face coverings worn over the nose and mouth reduce the spread of coronavirus droplets from coughs, sneezes and speaking. The main purpose is to protect others from Covid-19 - but there is some evidence they also protect the wearer. One Royal Society report last summer found that the use of cotton masks was associated with 54 per cent lower odds of infection in comparison with the no-mask groups, when tested in a healthcare setting. In another study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists calculated that wearing face coverings prevented more than 78,000 infections in Italy between April 6 and May 9 2020, and more than 66,000 infections in New York City over just a few weeks. A report recently published by the Royal Society suggests that even basic homemade face coverings can reduce transmission if enough people wear them when in public. The study, based on mathematical modelling, showed that if an entire population wore face coverings that were only 75 per cent effective, it would bring the reproduction number (the R) from 4.0 to under 1.0, without the need for lockdowns. (Image: PA)  Meanwhile, Dr Laurence Aitchison, from the department of computer science at the University of Bristol, claims research shows that mask-wearing reduces the spread of Covid-19 by around 25 per cent if everyone wears them. The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents doctors, also champions the use of masks and has said there should be an ongoing requirement to wear a mask in enclosed public spaces, such as on buses and trains, inside shops and in healthcare settings. On Monday Boris Johnson said he still recommended people wear coverings once restrictions are eased. He said at a Downing Street press conference: We will stick to our plan to lift legal restrictions and to lift social distancing, but we expect and recommend that people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with those you dont normally meet, such as on public transport.  He added: "I think what we want to do is get people to think carefully about the ending of the restrictions that were announcing today. This is not the end of Covid, it requires constant vigilance. It means thinking about others as well as yourself. It means thinking about wearing a face covering in confined spaces where you meet other people that you dont normally meet, as we said earlier on and we said last week. Because the legal restrictions have come off should not be taken as an invitation by everybody simply to have a great jubilee and freedom from any kind of caution or restraint.  According to our latest survey, seven in 10 people say they will continue to wear a face covering on public transport after July 19. Sign up to the free MEN email newsletter Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletter You can sign up very simply by following the instructions here  While the legal requirements around face coverings will be lifted by the government from July 19, transport operators and other businesses will likely decide their own policy on the issue - so don't be surprised if you're still asked to cover your face when you enter a restaurant or a shop. Official government guidance will urge that face coverings should still be worn in some settings, where social distancing is hard to maintain and people may be crowded together, as a voluntary measure. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday: The guidelines will be very clear on things like mask-wearing. Theres an expectation of people to wear masks indoors, in crowded places, on public transport.