Boris Johnson Claims Some People Have 'Loved' Life In Lockdown

Johnson has spent months telling everyone to work from home wherever that is possible, but has now decided to flip that around and encourage people to go back into work and 'try to lead their lives more normally'.

He also hinted that the government is considering stricter rules regarding face masks being worn in public.

It's already compulsory for face coverings to be worn in shops in Scotland, for example, but not south of the border in England.

In an online question and answer session, Johnson said: "I want people to go back to work as carefully as possible. It's very important that people should be going back to work if they can now.

"I think everybody has sort of taken the 'stay at home if you can' - I think we should now say, well, 'go back to work if you can'. Because I think it's very important that people should try to lead their lives more normally.

"I want to see more people feeling confident to use the shops, use the restaurants, and get back into work - but only if we all follow the guidance."

Now, a lot of people won't want to go back into work straight away because they - and their companies - haven't deemed it safe yet.

Johnson later expanded on his original statement to say that people should only return to work if their companies have followed the guidelines and believe it is safe to do so.

He then stated that he believes some people have loved life in lockdown these past few months.

While admitting 'I do think some people have suffered', the Tory leader said: "Some people have loved it - I mean, let's be honest, some people have actually loved it. But some people have really found it tough in lockdown."

As for those face masks, he said: "I do think we need to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces where they are meeting people they don't normally meet.

"We are looking at ways of making sure that people really do have face coverings in shops, for instance, where there is a risk of transmission."

It is thought this issue is currently being looked at by the government ahead of a potential change.