Face coverings are to be compulsory in shops in England from 24 July, health secretary Matt Hancock will announce on Tuesday.
Failure to cover up the nose and mouth while inside a store – including supermarkets – will be punishable by a fine of up to £100. The rules will not require the use of a medical mask, which ministers want to preserve for frontline health staff.
The announcement brings England in line with Scotland, which made face coverings mandatory in shops on 10 July, and follows the decision to require their use on public transport in England from 15 June.
READ ALSO: Austria to disallow compulsory wearing of face mask from 15 June
It comes just days after Boris Johnson was photographed for the first time wearing a mask – bought for £2 from Poundstretcher – to cover his nose and mouth during a visit to a store.
But it will fuel accusations of confusion at the heart of government over the response to coronavirus, after senior cabinet minister Michael Gove insisted on Sunday that coverings would not be made obligatory in English shops.
Labour said the government had been “slow and muddled” over the extension of mandatory use, despite issuing guidance as long ago as 11 May advising people to wear face coverings in enclosed public spaces where they may come into contact with people they would not usually meet.
READ ALSO: UK: 14-day compulsory quarantine could cripple our industry – Airlines lament
England has been among the slowest countries in the world to adopt face coverings during the pandemic, with far lower rates of use than in countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, where they were ubiquitous almost from the outset, and even behind the US, where they are seen by many as an infringement of freedom.
At least 120 countries have already made them compulsory in public.
According to YouGov polling at the start of this month, just 36 per cent of Britons said they were wearing face coverings while in public places, compared to 90 per cent in Singapore, 83 per cent in Italy, 73 per cent in the US and 65 per cent in Germany.
Mr Hancock will confirm that government guidance is to be updated for all shops, with regulations under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to be passed without the need for a vote in parliament.
While shop staff will be asked to encourage customers to comply, they will not be expected to enforce the rule. This will be a matter for police. Children aged under 11 and people with certain disabilities – such as breathing difficulties – will be exempt, and the fine can be halved to £50 if paid within 14 days.
As early as 21 April, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) concluded that “on balance, there is enough evidence to support recommendation of community use of cloth face masks, for short periods in enclosed spaces, where social distancing is not possible”.
Source: The independent
