UK shoppers urged to respect new mandatory face masks

UK shoppers have been asked to “respect” new rules on mandatory face masks in shops in England following the emergence of Omicron, a new Covid-19 variant.

The British Retail Consortium said “customers are asked to respect the rules and be considerate to their fellow shoppers and to hard-working shop staff.” Whether policing is necessary to enforce the ruling remains to be seen.

From, Tuesday, 30 November, it will be mandatory to wear masks in shops across England. The announcement came on Sunday from the UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) said it supports people wearing face coverings in shops in England: “We are pleased that a decision has been made to keep everyone safe and stop the spread of this new variant.”

Bira’s chief executive Andrew Goodacre said: “We now hope that the general public will be as responsible as the shop owners and staff and wear face coverings without any objections.”

Article source: BBC