A government adviser suggested her majesty's endorsement of face masks would see an uptake in their use, as they become mandatory for shoppers across the UK on Friday. Data published by The Office of National Statistics at the end of May found that only one third of Britons are regularly wearing a face mask. Retailers will be asked to advise customers to wear masks but their staff will not be expected to enforce the law. The law will require people to wear simple cloth face coverings, rather than the medical grade masks used by front-line NHS workers. The move to make masks mandatory in shops may anger those who find them uncomfortable or dislike the idea of state compulsion.

Source: Daily Mail July 14, 2020 01:36 UTC