Unmasked

Boris Johnson confirms the end of Covid restrictions, and Gavin Williamson defends free speech

The wearing of face coverings during a global pandemic ought not to be a controversial issue. On its own, wearing a mask may have limited effectiveness in combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus—but as part of a set of coherent public health measures, it makes a valuable contribution. Unfortunately, it now seems to have become embroiled in the UK’s never-ending culture wars.

As one vice-chancellor said to Playbook way back at the start of the pandemic, failure to adopt a responsible attitude to face coverings will mean that some prospective international students look at this country and think we are just not serious people. At his Downing Street press conference last night, prime minister Boris Johnson struck a more cautious note on mask wearing than members of his cabinet have in the past week.