Street artist Banksy has graffitied the London Underground to promote hygiene and mask-wearing, all while dressed as a cleaner.
Banksy, famous for his stencil art, posted a video on his Instagram painting images of his signature rat sneezing without a mask, using masks as parachutes, wearing masks and using hand sanitizer. Several passengers looked on, puzzled, as he completed the work.
Some images accompany messages like: “I get locked-down. But I get up again.”
The title of the Instagram video is “If you don’t mask - you don’t get it.” Face masks have been compulsory for passengers on London’s public transport system since mid-June.
This week, the British government announced that all shoppers in England must wear face masks from July 14.
On Friday, Boris Johnson wore a mask in public for the first time and discussed the possibility of them becoming compulsory. The announcement comes as more countries gradually revisit their policies on masks.
The US President was seen wearing a mask for the first time in public at the weekend. He has previously mocked others for wearing a mask.
Victoria’s state government has advised that people in the state’s locked-down areas should wear masks at times when they cannot maintain physical distancing.
Banksy is an anonymous street artist who has been active since the 1990s, gaining notoriety for his art with political undertones. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has created coronavirus orientated work, including an image of a child playing with a nurse superhero doll.
That painting will be auctioned to raise money for charities connected to the country's National Health Service (NHS). Other pieces by the secretive artist have previously fetched millions of dollars.
