Face Masks Required in England Shops Starting July 24 or Pay $125 if Caught Without Them

On July 24, Friday, the UK's new face mask rule is set to be placed in shops all over England. The law requires shoppers to wear a simple cloth face covering, rather than medical masks.

Those who fail to comply will be fined £100 or approximately $125 on the spot. The decree will be implemented under the plan to stop a second wave of the coronavirus.

(Photo : Photo from Reuters)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask, visits headquarters of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust in London

Exemptions will be made for people with certain disabilities, making it difficult for them to breathe with a mask on. Young children also aren't required to wear face masks when they go out for shopping.

Shopkeepers will be asked to advise their customers to wear masks. However, they will not be expected to impose the law. Instead, police will be given the authority to inflict fines.

Moreover, face coverings have already been compulsory on public transport since June 15. Government sources said that instructions on wearing masks in other settings would be "kept under review."

Read Also: Clallam County: Here for Service? Put On a Mask First

Why the Sudden Compulsion?

The UK is now cautious as it announced 11 more coronavirus deaths in the preliminary daily count, adding up to a total of 44,840 victims.

Furthermore, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that more than 100 coronavirus outbreaks were seen in schools, pubs, and businesses "swiftly and silently" across the country on a weekly basis.

The motive to bring citizens back to work following the coronavirus lockdown hit a blockade after some of the country's biggest firms said that only 40% of workers would make it back home.

Councils in England are preparing to make cuts in certain services and jobs after losing income on investments from airports, cinemas, and offices amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, beauty salons, tattoo shops, and nail bars in England have opened for the first time in four months, as part of the latest relaxation of lockdown restrictions.

Now that research suggests that immunity to COVID-19 could be lost in a matter of months, the UK is following guidelines to prevent the further spread of the potentially fatal virus.

Not Everyone Is On Board With Mask-Wearing

The law may anger some who find it uncomfortable or dislike the idea of being under the state of compulsion. For instance, one libertarian, Tory MP, has already vowed to stop shopping rather than wearing a mask.

However, Boris Johnson said yesterday that the face coverings were important, particularly in confined spaces as "extra insurance."

According to a Downing Street spokesman, there is growing evidence that wearing a face-covering in an enclosed space protects individuals and those around them from the coronavirus.

Moreover, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and will make it mandatory from July 24.

Mr. Johnson is planning to develop a new "road map" this week setting out a nine-month timetable for easing social distancing measures. He says that the measures will be implemented in the hope of giving people the confidence to return to a near-normal life.

Also Read: US Surgeon General: Coronavirus Surge Is Reversible if People Just Do Their Part