Police in England will fine people up to $125 if they do not wear face masks in supermarkets and shops starting July 24 in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus and attract shoppers to come back to shopping malls and high streets, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday.
The move comes as 530 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Monday, a 90% decrease since the peak of the crisis.
Still, the death rate of sales and retail assistants is 75% higher among men and 60% higher among women than in the general population, according to official health data.
"There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus," a spokesman for the prime minister said, according to News Sky.
"The prime minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24."
The decision follows nearly a week of conflicting information from the UK government concerning face masks – initially, the government recommended, but did not require, the use of masks in stores.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said the government's "confused communications" on the subject were a "disgrace."
"We can't afford to wait another day and the government should bring this policy in immediately – further delay risks lives," he urged.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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