"People will have to wear masks and maintain social distance for several more years," said Dr. Mary Ramsay, the Public Health England's head of immunization.
She said that people are accustomed to these restrictions, which are much safer for the economy than lockdown.
The world's population will only be able to get rid of the masks completely when vaccination rates in most countries are high enough and infection rates worldwide are declining.
"That is until we return to normal life very slowly," Ramsay told the BBC.
