Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

(asked on 16th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to recommend the wearing of visors for members of the public who cannot wear face masks during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 24th November 2020

As the Government’s guidance makes clear, there are circumstances when people may be unable to wear a face covering. No one should be forced to wear a face covering if they are exempt or have a reasonable excuse for not doing so, nor should they be required to prove their exemption.

By law, a face covering must adequately cover the nose and mouth. A visor may be worn in addition to a face covering but not instead, as they do not adequately cover the nose and mouth.

A member of the public who is exempt or has a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering has the discretion to wear a visor. However, as the evidence does not support the use of visors on their own as an effective way to prevent the spread of the virus, the Government does not recommend visors as an alternative to face coverings. The most important measures remain social distancing and good hand hygiene.

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