COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Face coverings in England's shops to be compulsory from 24 July



Wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets in England is to become mandatory from 24 July.

Those who fail to comply with the new rules will face a fine of up to £100, the government is to announce.

The move will bring England into line with Scotland and other major European nations like Spain, Italy and Germany.

Since mid-May, the public have been advised to wear coverings in enclosed public spaces, where they may encounter people they would not usually meet.

It has been compulsory on public transport since 15 June.

The announcement follows confusion about the government's intentions in recent days, with a senior minister suggesting on Sunday that people should use their "common sense" rather than being compelled to cover up.

Labour said ministers' response had been "slow and muddled" and questioned why the new rules would not come into force for 11 days.

The rules will be enforced by the police, with anyone disregarding them at risk of a fine of up to £100. This will be reduced to £50 if people pay within 14 days.

While shop workers will be encouraged to prompt customers to comply, they will not be expected to enforce the rules, allaying unions' concerns about their involvement.

In line with the rules on public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.

This ludicrous mask decision shows this is a Government driven by fear



Why now? Or rather why July 24, which in itself is a baffling delay? If it is crucial to wear masks then surely they should be mandatory from today. In fact, on that basis they should have been a legal requirement during the height of the pandemic in April and May.

Matt Hancock told the Commons that one reason was to protect shop workers who were disproportionately affected by Covid. Why, then, were masks not made compulsory when they were more likely to meet someone with the disease than they are now?

Yet now that the number of infections has subsided to a trickle, with only 500 new cases nationwide each day, the Government decides that wearing masks should be obligatory in shops, having recently insisted they must be worn on public transport.

Boris Johnson, previously rarely seen wearing a mask, now sports one whenever he’s in an enclosed public space. Is that to include the House of Commons, where MPs spend more time in proximity to each other than anyone will do in a shop? Some backbenchers already wear them.

Like many of the Covid rules, this one makes no sense. The delay is ostensibly to give “retailers time to prepare”; but since it’s their customers who are required to wear the wretched things, that argument does not convince. Ministers are essentially giving the country time to get used to something that a few months ago we were told was of limited efficacy in protecting us from catching Covid.

How long does this go on? If masks are being made compulsory in shops when the rate of infection is still falling, it is hard to see the obligation to wear them being lifted until the virus is eradicated – and that could be never. In the event of a second wave, masks will be made compulsory everywhere. A great many people working from home will then stay there and the businesses that depend on their custom will be sunk.

Once again, public health imperatives are taking precedence over economic considerations. For now, the public may tell pollsters they are happy with that, But we will all have to live amid the wreckage for many years to come.

The face masks doctors are warning people against using



While new rules ordering people to wear face coverings in shops are being welcomed by most in the medical community, experts are warning some are not as effective as others.

As of July 24, anyone visiting a supermarket or High Street shop will be expected to cover their face - or face a fine of £100.

The new rules are aimed at stemming the spread of coronavirus, amid fears of a second spike.

Deaths have fallen from coronavirus in recent weeks, but the Government acted with more people out in shops, and with the likes of nail parlours and tattoo studios now open,.

Shop workers will be told to ring police on any customer not donning a face covering, after the Government announced the new rules.

The WHO advises a three-layer face covering in the community - the outer layer should be water resistant, the inner should be water absorbent and the mid-layer acts as a filter.

The Government has said coverings can be made from scarves, bandanas or other fabric items, as long as they cover the mouth and nose.

But scientists at the Leverhulme Centre, who studied different types of face coverings used by members of the public, say some coverings are not as effective as others, with loosely woven fabrics, such as scarves, shown to be the least effective.

Number 10 contradicts Health Secretary Matt Hancock on face mask rules after sandwich shop confusion



Downing Street has suggested face masks won't be mandatory when buying takeaway from a sandwich shop - contradicting what Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News hours earlier.

From 24 July, the wearing of a face covering will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England, with a fine of up to £100 for those who do not comply.

But, ahead of the measure being introduced, there was confusion about whether a face mask should be worn in takeaway food shops.

Appearing on Sky News' Kay Burley@Breakfast show on Wednesday morning, Mr Hancock was quizzed about what the rules would be from 24 July.

He explained that customers such as Mr Gove would need to wear a face mask in Pret branches because it is classed as a shop.

However, later on Wednesday, Downing Street appeared to contradict Mr Hancock's view.

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "We will be publishing the full guidance shortly but my understanding is that it wouldn't be mandatory if you went in, for example, to a sandwich shop in order to get a takeaway to wear a face covering.

"It is mandatory... we are talking about supermarkets and other shops, rather than food shops."

Labour's shadow health minister Justin Madder said the conflicting statements were "just hopeless".

"We have had mixed messages from government all week and it seems that once again they are making it up as they go along," he told Sky News.

"We have had mixed messages from government all week and it seems that once again they are making it up as they go along," he told Sky News.