Nigel Farage believes wearing face masks to stop coronavirus spread "a price worth paying"

13 April 2020, 19:56 | Updated: 13 April 2020, 20:00

Nigel Farage backs WHO idea for public to start wearing face masks

Nigel Farage was critical of the government being "last to the party" for advising the public to use face masks to stop spreading coronavirus.

Nigel was quick to point out his belief that "it is possible that this virus simply dies out" in the coming months and there won't be any need for the public to use masks, but he acknowledged the likelihood that there will need to be new habits taken up by the public to stop the spread.

"There are viruses that we don't as yet have a cure of any kind" he said, referring to influenza. He stated that it could be that coronavirus ends up being on par with these diseases.

"The wearing of masks would stop the spread" Nigel said, and said that the UK needs to implement some sort of social strategy to bring in the idea.

"If the wearing of masks means that we can start to open up then I think it would be a price worth paying" Nigel said.

Referencing the ideas of Dr. David Nabarro of the World Health Organisation, Nigel stated that using face masks in future may be "the way we have to learn to live".

Nigel went on to play a piece from today's government coronavirus press conference where the question of rolling out face masks for public use came up, to which the government's scientific advisors said that they would investigate the idea.

"The Brits are the last to the party" Nigel said, criticising slow response to WHO advice.

Nigel was clearly irritated by the reaction by the government's scientific advisors, pointing out that "the British are the last to change the preconceptions they have".