The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, yesterday called on the Government to make the wearing of face coverings mandatory for customers in shops and other confined public spaces.
The Mayor has written to the Prime Minister urging him to extend the range of places where face coverings must be worn to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
He said that the wide use of face coverings is increasingly important as lockdown restrictions are eased, with scientific evidence showing that they can help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has updated its guidance to recommend the use of face coverings in a wide range of public settings, and a number of European countries, including Austria, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, have already mandated their use in shops and other public spaces.
‘It is increasingly clear that face coverings will play a key role in our efforts to stop the further spread of the virus and they need to become a more regular part of our day-to-day life,’ Mr Khan said.
‘The high level of use on our public transport network has again shown that Londoners are willing to act to protect their community, but the Government’s current rules are lagging behind other countries.
‘With non-essential shops now opening and the public returning to our high streets, I urge the Government to follow WHO guidance and make these coverings mandatory for those shopping in retail outlets and in other spaces where it is impossible to keep a safe distance.’
