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Wearing a covered face in shops and supermarkets in England will be mandatory from July 24.
Those who do not comply with the new rules will face a fine of up to £ 100, the government will announce.
The move will bring England in line with Scotland and other major European nations like Spain, Italy and Germany.
Since mid-May, the public has been advised to use covers in closed public spaces, where they can meet people they would not normally know.
It is mandatory on public transport from June 15.
The announcement follows confusion over the government’s intentions in recent days, and a senior minister suggested on Sunday that people should use their “common sense” rather than being forced to cover up.
Labor said the ministers’ response had been “slow and confusing” and questioned why the new rules would not go into effect for 11 days.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to set the new guidance on facial covers on Tuesday. They are designed to minimize the spread of the coronavirus and also encourage people to return to stores safely.
Sanctions
The police will enforce the rules, and anyone who ignores them risks being fined up to £ 100. This will drop to £ 50 if people pay within 14 days.
While store workers will be encouraged to ask customers to comply, they are not expected to enforce the rules, easing union concerns about their involvement.
Under public transportation regulations, children under the age of 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.
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Facial coatings have been mandatory in much of the continent for several months.
In Scotland, the use of coatings in stores is mandatory from 10 July. Buyers in Wales and Northern Ireland are currently not required to use them, although both nations have said this will be kept under review.
Boris Johnson noted a change in the government’s position on Friday when he spoke of the need for a stricter approach in confined environments and was photographed wearing a mask at a store in his Uxbridge constituency.
But in a BBC interview on Sunday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove played down any immediate legal change, saying he believed it should be simply a matter of “courtesy and good manners” to cover up.
When asked if it should be mandatory, he replied, “I don’t think so, no.”
‘Slow and confusing’
Labor said the mixed messages were symptomatic of the government’s indecision during the pandemic and that ministers had to explain the “further delay.”
“The government has been slow and confusing again,” said shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth.
Given the government’s own guidance issued on May 11 that advises in favor of facial masks, many will ask why once again ministers have been slow to make a decision in this pandemic, and why it will take another 11 days before these new guidelines come in force. ”
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A 10th spokesman said: “There is increasing evidence that wearing a face cover in an enclosed space helps protect people and those around them from the coronavirus.
“The prime minister has made it clear that people should wear face covers in stores and we will make it mandatory starting July 24.”
Unions have said the new guide must be “clear and detailed” to protect staff and customers.
While welcoming the clarity on the subject, Usdaw said the liners could not be a substitute for proper hygiene controls and that people follow patterns of social distancing.
The British Retail Consortium said it would have been wrong to put hardworking staff, who were already abused, “in danger” by asking them to enforce the rules and that it was necessary to clarify whether they should also cover up.
Facial coatings have been mandatory in stores in Germany since the end of April and in Italy since May 4. Similar rules came into force in Spain on May 21 and in Belgium on July 11.
But they are not mandatory in France, where it is up to retailers to decide whether customers should use them.
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