WESTMINSTER health chiefs are sticking by advice to wear masks around strangers — but admit they've no proof you're less likely to catch Covid from friends.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid defended the government last month after an image emerged of a packed Cabinet meeting in which no-one was wearing a mask.

While mask rules remain in place across Scotland, the mandatory use of face coverings has ended in England and Downing Street pictures showed around 30-40 people sitting together. Javid said that was "perfectly consistent" with his government's revised guidance which tells members of the public to wear masks "when they are with strangers".

Appearing on Sky News, he was asked "can you not catch Covid from your friends?" and told the broadcaster: "People should consider wearing masks in crowded places when they are with strangers, when they are with people that they are not normally spending time with."

The advice, which is part of Boris Johnson's winter plan, was questioned widely, with Labour MP Jonathan Reynolds hitting out at the "sense of the complacency" from the government and Munira Wilson of the LibDems accusing the Tory administration of having "lost touch with the public who actually do take mask-wearing seriously".

Now Javid's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has conceded there's no science to suggest Covid is easier to catch from strangers.

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In answer to a question from Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn, Maggie Throup, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Vaccines and Public Health, confirmed Public Health England "has not made a comparative assessment" about the rate of transmission of Covid-19 between people who know each other and those who do not.

Throup said: "We continue to advise that members of the public continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces where they are likely to come into contact with those they do not regularly meet."

That response came on October 11, when 39,463 new Covid cases were recorded across the UK. Official data now reveals a further 49,156 lab-confirmed cases and the highest number of daily reported cases since mid-July.

And the deaths of another 45 people within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test has taken the total number of UK fatalities to 138,229.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We obviously keep very close watch on the latest statistics.

"We always knew the coming months would be challenging. What we are seeing is case rates, hospitalisations and deaths still broadly in line with the modelling as set out a few months back now. The vaccination programme will continue to be our first line of defence, along with new treatments, testing and public health advice.

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"But we will obviously keep a close watch on cases.

"But it is thanks to our vaccination programme that we are able to substantially break the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths."

The spokesman said the success of the vaccines means "we are able to be one of the most open economies in Europe, which is benefiting the public and indeed businesses as well".

However, responding to Throup's parliamentary answer, the SNP's Flynn said: "It will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody that Sajid Javid has performed no assessment as to whether strangers or friends are relevant to mask wearing.

"Cleary coronavirus is not only contracted when amongst strangers so it's quite galling that Sajid Javid would make these comments in order to defend himself and his Tory cronies.

"This is just the latest in a long line of bizarre remarks from Sajid Javid — let's not forget he was forced to apologise for disturbing comments back in July whereby he described people as 'cowering' from the virus. These comments sum up the Tory government — no thought, no care and no substance. Scotland deserves better."