Britons 'will be made to wear facemasks WHENEVER we go to the shops, travel on public transport or go back to work' in new guidance to fight coronavirus

Britons will soon be told to wear masks at work, in shops and on public transport in a new move to stop the spread of coronavirus, it was claimed today. 

The Government's top scientific experts met on Tuesday to discuss the issue of masks and are expected to issue new guidance as soon as this weekend.

It will ask people to wear a face covering, which could be homemade or even just a scarf, whenever they are in a public space where they cannot observe social distancing measures, reports The Sun. 

This will mean asking people to cover their nose and mouth when they go to the shops and travel on public transport, but won't apply to being in parks and quiet, residential streets.

The advice won't be compulsory or put into law, but could stop people carrying the virus who don't have any symptoms from passing it on. 

Experts on all sides have repeatedly stressed that surgical facemasks should be reserved for frontline staff so NHS supplies are not compromised.

A Whitehall source told The Sun: 'No decision is going to be made which would take medical masks away from the NHS. Everybody is very clear on that.

'If you actually have symptoms you need to isolate, full stop. A cloth mask is not a replacement for staying at home and nobody should think otherwise.'

The next review of lockdown measures will take place on May 7, when Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty warned ministers face 'difficult trade offs'. 

The new guidance may apply to those allowed to go back to work if measures are eased in the next few weeks, according to the newspaper

At yesterday's Downing Street press conference, Professor Whitty warned social distancing measures would likely be in place for the rest of 2020

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He said they cannot be lifted until either a vaccine for coronavirus or 'highly effective' drugs to treat the disease become available.  

Professor Whitty did not specify whether the strict 'stay at home' policy which is currently in place would have to be in place for the remainder of the year.

Other experts have suggested that some of the strictest measures, including school closures, could be eased as long as there was not a spike in virus cases.

But Professor Whitty was very clear that the only real exit from the lockdown - to allow a full return to normal life - would involve a medical breakthrough