SHOPPERS and visitors are being urged to cover their faces in crowded outdoor areas of York, as fears grow following the emergence of the Omicron variant.

York council leader Keith Aspden offered the advice as thousands of shoppers were expected in the city centre in the run up to the festive season.

City of York Council said it had already issued reminders to its staff of infection control measures which will be in place until the end of January, including working at home where possible, wearing face coverings in council buildings and residents’ homes, taking lateral flow tests twice a week, and washing hands regularly.

The authority has also issued hundreds of free face coverings for distribution in retail spaces.

Wearing masks has become obligatory in shops and on public transport following the emergence of Omicron, which may be more transmissible and make the Covid vaccines less effective.

Cllr Aspden said: "Beyond our own staff, we are encouraging residents and visitors to York to wear face coverings in crowded outdoor areas as the Christmas shopping season gets underway."

He said residents' best protection against Covid-19 was vaccination and he urged people to get their booster if entitled to it, and their flu vaccination as well.

He added: “I want to thank the people of York for their ongoing cooperation with public health advice and guidance and for working so hard to keep our communities safe. We will continue to monitor the current situation and keep residents updated if anything changes.”