GB News's Neil Oliver argues with health expert over masks' effectiveness and calls mandatory Covid jags 'evil'

Mr Oliver who has previously branded lockdown "the biggest mistake in world history" was critical of the Prime Minister mandating the reintroduction of face masks on public transport and shops in England.

After coming out of mandatory quarantine on November 14 after catching Covid, the archaeologist and author took take aim at a decision by Austria to impose a lockdown on the unvaccinated - fearing that the silence in the UK means the nation could follow suit.

And in his latest monologue, he raised concerns about the the compulsory vaccination of the pubic could spread beyond Austria.

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that vaccinations could be made mandatory in Germany by February.

Germany's fourth wave of Covid is its most severe so far, with another 388 deaths recorded in one 24 period last week.

There is growing concern about the spread of the Omicron variant, which EU health officials warn is likely to cause over half of all Covid cases in the next few months.

On Sunday a further 18 cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 were detected in Scotland with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde seeing the largest rise, with 12 more cases, taking its total to 23.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said people across Scotland should continue with their Christmas plans but "make them safer".

On Friday it was revealed a concert by the pop band Steps at Glasgow's Hydro venue on 22 November has been linked to six of Scotland's Omicron cases.

READ MORE: GB News's Neil Oliver in row over 'no comply' in wearing masks to beat Omicron Covid variant

Mr Oliver, who faced calls for him to be 'cancelled' after stating he would "cheerfully risk catching Covid" in the name of personal freedom questioned the evidence that wearing masks would do any good to curb spread and said it was nothing more than "theatre" to show actions are being taken.

Dr Strain said: "So this is all on the back of the Omicron variant.

"I believe that the masks are here to try and reduce that spread until we find out more about it. Now, if it turns out in four or five weeks time, that actually the Omicron variant is the milder version of the virus that many of us have been hoping for and actually, that is probably the root out of this pandemic, that the virus just mutates into something that's no more severe than the common cold, I do look forward to dropping those masks again. For now, I think it's a sensible precaution to protect the vulnerable, the elderly, those who are at the greatest risk of the vaccine failing...

The archaeologist and author turned TV presenter responded: "Where is the data, the peer reviewed reports that say that masks stop people catching and transmitting the virus ...nothing I have seen.

"It seems that across the scientific community there is only uncertainty about whether they have any effect or not.

"And I've always felt that the masks are theatre, [and it is about the] government to be quickly seen to be doing something that's highly visible, as in suddenly there's a blue stripe on everybody's face again."

Dr Strain countered: "So, it depends what sort of mask you're using. If you're using a simple block mask, they reduce your risk of spreading the virus by about 65 to 70%.

"If you're using the sort of flu-resistant surgical mask, these ones are becoming commonplace, there is peer reviewed data that demonstrates they reduce the spread of COVID within small communities, but it's more a case of it reducing the risk of you passing it on to other people.

"The actual ability for them to stop you catching it from these is only marginal. It reduces it by about a third to 50%. But actually if you're wearing it and reducing the risk of it being spread, and the person who's vulnerable is wearing it, reducing the risk of catching it, between the two of you that amounts to about an 85 to 90% protection."

The former National Trust for Scotland president was not having any of it, saying: "I think I'm fairly safe in saying that there are plenty of reports that say quite the contrary. That the the masks, do not provide the kind of protection you're talking about. You're quoting figures there and I'm confident that there are many other reports peer reviewed and from reputable sources that would say different. "

He went on to asked about the UK government's aim to offer all adults booster vaccinations by the end of January.

Dr Strain said more will be known about how effective vaccinations will be against the Omicron variant over the next two to three weeks and whether a new innoculation is required which would take two to three months to create.

"So the booster programme is all about reducing your risk of being hospitalised and ending up on an ITU [intensive therapy unit] or even dying."

Mr Oliver responded: "If the uptake of the of one, two, and three [vaccinations] has been as successful as claimed, I fail to understand why the government seems to be pushing for 100% vaccination. And it seems like over and over again, it becomes an excuse to point the finger at those who have not taken the vaccine for whatever reason and as others have said surely this is the first time in history when the the seeming ineffectiveness of a medical product has been blamed on the people who haven't taken it."

Dr Strain pointed out that the vaccine cuts the risk of being hospitalised by approximately 90%, and reduces the risk of dying by about 95%.

But he pointed out that it won't offer the same protection for someone who is 80 with multiple illnesses as a young, fit and healthy 18 year old.

"So that's why we see this discrepancy that about half of the people hospitalised are vaccinated and part unvaccinated," he said. "When it comes to personal protection, the single best thing anybody can do is get vaccinated for their own well being."

The Renfrewshire-born 54-year-old GB News host who has previously stated that he and his wife will not let their three teenage children take the Covid vaccine asked if the only truly Rolls Royce gold standard protection is to have had COVID and recover.

Dr Strain said: "No, and there's several reasons for that. When you get the vaccine, you get a soup of antibodies."

He said that protects against certain aspects of the variants that come out.

"And so we are in this position where being vaccinated will have a greater protection over prior exposure to Delta," he said.

"All that being said, none of it is guaranteed. And that's the important measure. And that's one of the reasons that we are looking very, very carefully to find out what is going to be the history of people who get Omicron despite being vaccinated. Is it just a mild disease, or is it actually something more serious?"

Social media reaction to the discussion.

The GB News presenter had earlier hit out at the idea of compulsory vaccinations - describing the notion as "evil".

In his monologue he said: "We know for certain the uncountable millions of people, children among them, have suffered dreadfully on account of the lockdowns and other measures already endured. Even as we seek to comprehend how much damage has been done, politicians, scientists and the mainstream media are howling from throats wide open for more of the same.

"I say and in this I speak only for myself that the idea of compulsory vaccines in these circumstances is an evil one. Evil.

"For now I choose to believe, at least to hope, that unmasked totalitarianism such as we shall shortly see in Germany and Austria and elsewhere, if and when vaccines are made compulsory and then enforced, that enough people will be so repelled by the behaviour of the leaders and the leader servants that they will stand up and say no, and mean it.

"The line separating good and evil passes through every human heart. I believe that. I know it runs through mine, and I have the capacity to do wrong as well as right.

"The outcome of all of this is up to us. And there is something else worth remembering every day... governments amount to hundreds but we amount to millions. They are few and we are many."