UK coronavirus LIVE: Deaths pass 45,000 and cases near 300k as face masks could be mandatory 'for foreseeable future'

Matt Hancock has said that face coverings will have to be worn “for the foreseeable future” in shops and public transport, but insisted they will not be made mandatory in offices.

It came as Boris Johnson was accused of "rhetorical nonsense" as he was quizzed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over a report into fears of a second wave of coronavirus. The dramatic PMQs clash came ahead of an expected announcement by the Prime Minister on Friday, when he is set to unveil plans to get Britain back to work in a bid to boost struggling businesses.

Meanwhile, a £4 billion cut in VAT for the leisure and hospitality industry comes into force today. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in his mini-Budget last week that the levy on food, accommodation and attractions will be cut from 20 per cent to 5 per cent from Wednesday until January 12.

And the UK's official Covid-19 death toll passed 45,000 as the Department of Health confirmed 85 more deaths from the disease.

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