By Ben Kerrigan-
British Ministers and officials are examining the guidance on whether face masks should be made compulsory in shops, with an announcement on whether the tools of enforcement is necessary imminent-but most likely in the next few days.
The comments come after cabinet minister Michael Gove told the BBC on Sunday that face coverings should not become mandatory in shops in England.
Currently, face coverings are currently compulsory on public transport in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland – and the Welsh government has announced it will enforce the same measure from 27 July.
In Scotland, coverings are also mandatory in shops, but critics have complained that the situation in England needs to be made easier for the public to understand.
Face coverings are worn to help prevent wearers spreading coronavirus, rather than catching it.
The prime minister said on Friday: “I do think we need to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces where they are meeting people they don’t normally meet.
“And, in terms of how we do that whether we make it mandatory or not, we’ll be looking at the guidance – we’ll be seeing a little bit more in the next few days.”
Mr Johnson added: “Throughout this crisis people have shown amazing sensitivity towards other people and understanding of the needs to get the virus down by doing things cooperatively.
“Wearing masks is one of them. It’s a mutual thing; people do see the value of it. We’ll be looking in the next few days about exactly how – with what tools of enforcement – we think we want to make progress.”
During a visit to the London Ambulance Service today, he added: ‘They have a great deal of value in confined spaces where you’re coming into contact with people you don’t normally meet.
‘The scientific evaluation of face coverings and their importance on stopping aerosol droplets, that’s been growing, so I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering if you’re going to be in a confined space and you want to protect other people and receive protection in turn.
‘Yes, face coverings, I think people should be wearing in shops, and in terms of how we do that – whether we will be making that mandatory or not – we will be looking at the guidance, we will be saying a little bit more in the next few days.’
Royal Society president Dr Venki Ramakrishnan said the ‘evidence has shifted’ and it was now ‘quite strongly in favour of using face coverings in enclosed spaces’.
Image:news.sky.com