Under new rules coming into force next Friday (July 24), shoppers who do not wear a face covering will face a fine of up to £100.
And shops can refuse them entry and can even call the police if people refuse to comply – although, just as with public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons this week: “In recent weeks, we have reopened retail and footfall is rising. We want to give people more confidence to shop safely, and enhance protections for those who work in shops.
“Both of these can be done by the use of face coverings. Sadly, sales assistants, cashiers and security guards have suffered disproportionately in this crisis.
“The death rate of sales and retail assistants is 75% higher among men and 60% higher among women than in the general population. So as we restore shopping, so we must keep our shopkeepers safe.
“There is also evidence that face coverings increase confidence in people to shop.”
POLICE
The Health Secretary continued: “Should an individual without an exemption refuse to wear a face covering, a shop can refuse them entry and can call the police if people refuse to comply. The police have the formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine.
“This is in line with how shops would normally manage their customers and enforcement is of course a last resort, and we fully expect the public to comply with the rules as they have done throughout the pandemic.”
The British Retail Consortium has said that, together with other social distancing measures, face coverings can make shoppers feel even more confident about returning to the high street.
And the chair of the Federation of Small Businesses has said that small firms know that mandatory face coverings have a part to play.
The Health Secretary concluded: “As a nation, we have made huge strides in getting this virus, which has brought grief to so many, under control.
“We are not out of the woods yet.
“So let’s all of us do our upmost to keep this virus cornered, and enjoy summer safely.”
One pet shop owner, posting on the pbwnews Facebook page, welcomed the news, writing: “Many pet shops are small family-run businesses and if one of us gets sick, it’s only ethical that we all quarantine. That effectively closes us as an essential service and people won’t wait for two weeks for our return. It’s a business protection to wear a mask.”
