England will require people to wear masks in shops and markets, a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson he told Sky News Monday.
The country will follow another 150 in the mandatory masks from July 24. Police will enforce the new requirement, and those who do not wear facial covers will face fines of up to $ 114, or $ 57 if the fine is paid within 14 days.
“There is increasing evidence that wearing a covered face in an enclosed space helps protect people and those around them from the coronavirus,” Johnson’s spokesman told Sky News.
“The prime minister has made it clear that people should wear face covers in stores and we will make it mandatory starting July 24,” the spokesperson added.
The decision will align England with Scotland and other European nations such as Spain, Italy and Germany.
Masks were required on June 15 on public transportation, except for children under 11 and people with certain disabilities. The new facial coverage requirement will allow the same exceptions, depending on the media.
Official guidance has recommended that people wear facial covers in closed public spaces since mid-May.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to describe the restrictions on Tuesday.
But London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the country “cannot afford to wait another day and that the government should implement this policy immediately; further delay risks lives,” according to Sky News.
The UK has confirmed 291,691 cases of COVID-19, leading to 44,915 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
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