The Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has today announced that people will be required to wear a face mask on public transport and in shops in England from Tuesday 30th November, but said they will not be required in pubs and restaurants.
Speaking this morning (Sunday 28th November) to Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News, Mr Javid said he hopes the extra measures will be ‘temporary’ and that the Government can remove them ‘within weeks’.
‘Doing it in this proportionate way where it’s for public transport, it’s for retail outlets, I think is the right level of response on masks,’ he said. ‘It will be via Government regulation and that means, I think, that people will take it seriously.’
The Health Secretary downplayed there being a need to introduce Plan B measures in full, such as work from home guidance and Covid passports. ‘We know now those types of measures do carry a very heavy price, both economically, socially, in terms of non-Covid health outcomes such as impact on mental health. So if one was to make decisions like that they would have to be done very, very carefully and we’re not there yet, we’re nowhere near that.’
Stores and shops have been quick to respond. Giles Hurley, CEO at Aldi UK said: ‘The safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority. Following the latest Government announcement, wearing a face covering will be mandatory for everyone that shops at Aldi from Tuesday 30 November, except for the small number of people who have a medical exemption.’
