London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Rishi Sunak criticised for wearing valved mask that's 'worse than nothing'

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been criticised for wearing a vented face mask that one doctor said was worse than no covering at all.
A picture of Mr Sunak posted to his Twitter account on Wednesday showed him leaving a Pret a Manger while wearing a grey mask fitted with a valve.

Valved masks filter incoming air but do not filter it on the way out, and scientists have repeatedly urged people against wearing them for fear they could spread germs further.

Oxford University medical professor Trisha Greenhalgh responded that they ‘make the exhalation into a jet’.

She tweeted: ‘Not that one Rishi. One without a valve. Way to go,’ and later corrected another user who suggested Mr Sunak’s mask was better than nothing.

Former Tory MP and London mayoral candidate Rory Stewart added: ‘A little guidance maybe [sic] needed on mask types – the key point of masks is to protect OTHERS from your own breathing’.

Earlier this month, Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, told LBC that valves create a ‘high velocity flow of air from the mouth out through the valve which could create a plume of infection’.

In May a study by doctors at the University of Palermo in Italy warned valved masks ‘may be an additional and under-recognised transmission source’ as they ‘pose major concerns about outward protection’.

The European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have issued statements against the use of valved masks in community settings while the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have recommended against using them in healthcare settings where a sterile environment is required.

Some cities and counties in the US have banned their use outright.

The government was previously criticised for appearing to promote the same type of mask after one was shown in an official clip posted to Downing Street’s Twitter account.

The tweet said face coverings were meant to ‘protect others’ and followed Tuesday’s announcement that the use of masks will become compulsory in shops in England from July 24.

Despite the concerns, Mr Sunak was pictured wearing the same mask for a second day, while talking to staff at a job centre in Barking, east London.

The government has also been criticised for confusing messaging around the new announcement.

While some ministers have suggested masks would only be compulsory in shops, the Cabinet Office’s Covid-19 guidance was updated on Tuesday to say face coverings are ‘strongly encouraged’ in other ‘enclosed public spaces where social distancing may be difficult and where you come into contact with people you do not normally meet.’

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was pictured leaving a pret on the same day without a mask on.

Asked about the incident on Sky News, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘You do need to wear a face mask in Pret because Pret is a shop.’

‘If there’s table service, it is not necessary to have a mask. But in any shop, you do need a mask.

‘So, if you’re going up to the counter in Pret to buy takeaway that is a shop… but if you go to your local pub you can’t go to the bar.’

Responding to concerns earlier that day, Mr Sunak said: ‘I think that people are intelligent. I think that people can understand this is a novel virus with specific challenges. There are appropriate moments of course when a direct message to say to people “don’t do X” or “do do Y” is appropriate.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×