Face masks and covering will be made compulsory by July 24th in England shops
Author: Sarah Akomanyi | Tuesday 14th July 2020
From the 24th of July, it will be made compulsory to wear a face mask/covering while shopping in stores around England. Shoppers could risk being fined up to £100 if they do not follow the rules.
This will be reduced to £50 if people pay within 14 days.
Once this is introduced, the UK will follow in the footsteps of Scotland and other major European cities like Spain, Italy, and Germany.
Wearing a face covering became compulsory on public transport in England since June 15th. Children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.
Environment Secretary George Eustice mentioned this new rule will not apply to retail staff.
"It is about managing the overall risk," he added. "Any type of covering will be sufficient for this purpose."
He also added how the research on the use of face coverings had been "evolving". Additionally, between now and the rules being enforced, this will "give people time to prepare".
These rules send "a much stronger signal that people will follow in greater numbers".
The British Retail Consortium said it hoped the announcement "will make shoppers feel even more confident about returning to the High Street".
