Coronavirus vaccine: Might it have side-effects?

The government says people with medical conditions or disabilities that mean they cannot wear a covering will not have to do so.

We do not yet have the precise wording of the rules for shops. However, face coverings have been compulsory on public transport in England since 15 June and the rules for that are pretty broad.

Anyone who cannot wear a covering “because of any physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability”, or who would experience “severe distress” from doing so, is exempt.

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We don’t know for sure whether there will be cards sent out by the government saying that people do not have to wear face coverings.

That has not happened for public transport, so it seems very unlikely to happen when the rules are extended to shops.

On public transport, if a police officer sees a passenger not wearing a face covering they have been told to ask whether they have an exemption before pursuing any further action.

Some disability charities are producing badges or cards for people to carry with them signalling they are exempt from wearing a face covering.

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It won’t be compulsory for shop workers in England to wear a face covering because “it won’t always be right for every setting in a retail environment”, according to Environment Secretary George Eustice.

However, Mr Eustice says that many workers already wear coverings or are protected by a screen.

The face covering requirement for customers will help to protect shop workers, according to Heath Secretary Matt Hancock, who told Parliament that shop workers have suffered disproportionately from coronavirus.

In Scotland, where face coverings for customers have been compulsory since 10 July, shop staff also do not have to wear them, but it is “strongly recommended” in the guidance that they do.

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On public transport, “face covering” is defined as a covering of any type that covers a person’s nose and mouth.

Clear face visors do cover the nose and mouth so would be fine.

A homemade cloth face covering would also be acceptable – you can find out how to make one here.

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People in England will not be required to wear a covering in places where it’s not practical.

Environment Secretary George Eustice gave the example of pubs, cafes or restaurants.

On public transport in England, people are allowed to remove their face coverings if it is “reasonably necessary” for them to eat or drink. Clearly that would apply to everybody in a pub, cafe or restaurant.

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Face coverings are not compulsory for shop workers, but there is no limit on how long a covering can be worn.

If you are wearing one for a long time, there are some things you might need to consider.

It is likely that over the course of an eight-hour shift you would need to remove the covering sometimes – to eat or drink, for example.

The government advises that you should wash, or sanitise, your hands thoroughly before and after touching a face covering.

On public transport, the government has said that passengers going on long journeys should take more than one face covering with them and a plastic bag for storing them after being used.

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The government says it is introducing these rules now to minimise risk and increase confidence as the country returns more to normality.

On the timing, ministers say they have been following the scientific advice about face coverings as it has evolved – as issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO initially said that masks were not effective in preventing the spread of the virus, but that advice has now changed as it has learnt more about how the disease spreads.

However, Labour has accused the government of being “slow and muddled” on face-covering policy and has questioned why the new rules are not coming into force sooner.

Source: bbc.com