HEALTH bosses were last night slammed for seeking to “control our lives” after telling people to wear masks and stay at home.
Fresh guidance from the UK Health Security Agency sparked a backlash from Tories who accused the body of trying to revive pandemic-era rules.
Health bosses have been accused of trying to bring back Covid mask rules after backlash from the Tories
Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins told sick Brits to “try to stay home when unwell” and “wear a face covering” if you must go out.
Tory MP Philip Davies warned such edicts would be a “slippery slope” to more restrictions.
He last night told the Sun: “The extremists at the UKHSA want to control our lives.
“These people will never ever change – you can’t teach a crab to walk straight and if they could they would send us back into lockdown in a second.
“You’ve just got to hope this time the government doesn’t give in.”
Fellow Conservative backbencher Sir Desmond Swayne branded the advice “dystopian”.
But Transport Secretary Mark Harper – who led the Covid Recovery Group of Tory lockdown sceptics during the pandemic – said the advice was “sensible”.
Downing Street also stressed mask-wearing was not compulsory and people should use “their judgement”.
Masks were mandatory in public places for large sections of the pandemic after their effectiveness was initially doubted by government scientists.
The UKHSA issued the guidance in a bid to stop respiratory infections like Covid, Step A and flu crippling the NHS this winter.
It came after Ministers imposed Covid testing on all Chinese visitors amid a huge new wave consuming the country.
But yesterday Mr Harper admitted anyone who tests positive on arrival will not have to quarantine.
The policy sets Britain apart from other countries which require any Chinese arrival with the bug to isolate.
Mr Harper told LBC: “What we’re doing is we’re collecting that information for surveillance purposes.”
However passengers from mainland China will have to show a negative test before boarding a direct flight after a new wave of the virus consumed the country.
Many will also get a PCR swab after landing in Britain so scientists can track any dangerous new variants that risk spreading.
