Starting from July 24, the UK government will force Britons to wear face masks in shops. Anyone braking this rule will be fined up to £100. It came after ministers were criticized for different opinions exposed on the use of the mask.
Brits forced to wear face masks inside shops from July 24
The Prime Minister claimed that wearing face masks while shopping can be a vital “insurance policy” to stop Covid exploding again. Then he added: “I do think in shops it is very important to wear a face covering if you are going to be in a confined space. You want to protect other people and receive protection in turn. Face coverings — I think people should be wearing them in shops”. Johnson implemented compulsory masks as the UK yesterday recorded 11 Covid related deaths. The number is the lowest daily total since March 12.
Government will announce the decision today by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. It equalizes shops in line with public transportation. Then shopkeepers will urgently encourage the public to follow the new rule. But authorities will fine with £100 those not wearing the mask, cut to £50 if paid within a fortnight. However children under 11 and those with some disabilities don’t have to follow the rule.
A protection for possible future risks
Royal Society president Dr Venki Ramakrishnan declared that the “evidence has shifted” and is now “quite strongly in favour of using face coverings in enclosed spaces”. He said that it was “not consistent” to make people wear face masks on public transport but not in shops. Dr Ramakrishnan added: “A virus doesn’t know. The behaviour of the virus is the same in all spaces.”
A new scientific report alerted that a second wave of Covid-19 this winter could hit much harder. It can kill 120,000 in hospitals. The Academy of Medical Sciences produced the report at the request of Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser. It advised that the Government must act now to prepare for a possible “winter wave”. Then study leader Professor Stephen Holgate stated: “This is not a prediction but it is a possibility.”
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