Skip to main content

Face masks in shops mandatory from Tuesday amid Omicron fears

// Face masks to again become mandatory in shops and on public transport
// The Prime Minister announced the move in the face of the new Omicron coronavirus variant

In an announcement on Saturday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson said wearing face masks will become mandatory in all shops, and on public transport, in England.

Boris Johnson confirmed the move in a press conference called after two cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus were detected in the UK.

The rules surrounding face masks were relaxed in England in July.

READ MORE:

The Prime Minister said hospitality will be exempt from the rule change, and further details will be outlined by the Health Secretary “in the course of the next day or so”.

Speaking at Downing Street on Saturday evening, he said: “On face coverings, what we’re looking at is retail and transport, just going back to a position where you have to wear them in retail settings or on public transport.”

The British Retail Consortium, which represents the industry, said it is up to the police to enforce the measure.

“However, customers are asked to respect the rules and be considerate to their fellow shoppers and to hard-working shop staff,” it said.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “We are helping retailers to prepare for the change in face covering rules, but they are extremely concerned about abuse against their staff from customers who don’t want to wear a face covering in a shop.

“We will continue to urge stores to communicate the rules, but not to challenge those who refuse to abide by the rules.”

Paddy Lillis, general secretary of retail trade union Usdaw criticised the Government for its “flip-flopping” on Covid measures, adding that continual rule changes “create confusion, reduce compliance and can lead to conflict.”

The union boss added that retail staff working with the public are “deeply worried” about catching Covid-19 and that the arrival of the Omicron variant is a “further concern”.

“Wearing a face covering protects others, it should not be a personal preference, but a personal responsibility,” added Lillis.

“The Government must be clear and consistent on it being mandatory and that shopworkers are not expected to enforce the law on face coverings.”

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter

The post Face masks in shops mandatory from Tuesday amid Omicron fears appeared first on Retail Gazette.



from Retail Gazette https://ift.tt/313E5BN
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eagle Labs launches impirica CBD brand

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Eagle Labs has launched impirica, a new brand of CBD intended to eliminate consumer fear, and increase confidence, in trying the exciting new cannabidiol category. Michael Law Although most Americans have now heard about CBD, many are very confused and concerned about product quality. This is inhibiting trial in the category and holding back conversion into sales. In fact, a 2017 study by Johns Hopkins University found that two out of three CBD products on the shelf did not contain the amount of CBD reflected on the label. Furthermore, in 2018 and 2019, the FDA sent notices to a substantial number of CBD manufacturers advising them of serious concerns about product quality or egregious medical claims. The impirica brand looks different than most CBD brands — the brand name itself connotes testing and trust, says Eagle Labs chief commercial officer Michael Law. “It doesn’t use the traditional category colors of browns and greens, and you won’t find a hemp...
68 comments
Read more

Coronavirus Recovery: Canadian Small Businesses Must Focus on Easing Employee, Customer Fears

By M. Tina Dacin and Laura Rees A small business has been  given the green light to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic . What does it need to consider for employees and customers? Small business owners are reorganizing physical space to account for continued distancing requirements and rethinking supply chains to deliver products and services in new ways to meet changing demand patterns. But they must not forget the hearts and minds of employees and customers. That doesn’t mean replacing a focus on the bottom line, but it helps address the need for a new set of expectations and ways of communicating in terms of product or service offerings, delivery methods and real-time feedback. Based on our expertise in organizational behaviour and past research we’ve conducted, we provide a set of recommendations to help small businesses thrive in our new COVID-19 economy by looking after the hearts and minds of the people most important to businesses — employees and customers. Fear, Anxi...
1 comment
Read more

World's 1st Pizza Subscription Service Launches in Toronto

general assembly subscription user opening delivery box of pizza. photo: general assembly pizza By Mario Toneguzzi Toronto-based General Assembly Pizza has launched what it describes as the world’s first pizza subscription service as it also plans to aggressively expand its product offering in the near future by opening a new concept in the market. "Since opening our doors in 2017, we have pushed for the best guest-experience possible — that's why our dough is 100 percent naturally leavened, that's why we have a purpose-built 400-square-foot pick-up and delivery area, and that's why we’ve launched a direct-to-consumer subscription-based ecommerce platform,” said Founder & CEO Ali Khan Lalani. “In 2020, providing the best guest experience means General Assembly Pizza has to be more than a restaurant. I'm proud to say that after almost six months of planning, many roadblocks, and countless pivots — all while maintaining our day-to-day restaurant operatio...
1 comment
Read more