COVID-19: 100-pound fines for failure to wear face masks in England shops

London: The UK government ended days of speculation and declared on Tuesday that wearing a face mask or face covering will become mandatory in shops across England from July 24, as part of efforts to control the spread of Coronavirus as the country eases out of lockdown.

The enforcement powers for the new policy will be handed to the police and anyone failing to wear a face covering while shopping will be subject to a fine of up to 100 pounds, or 50 pounds if paid speedily within 14 days.

"There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from Coronavirus," a 10 Downing Street spokesperson said.

"The Prime Minister [Boris Johnson] has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24," the spokesperson said.

While shop workers will be encouraged to prompt customers to comply, they will not be expected to enforce the rules, allaying retail union concerns about their involvement in the enforcement process.

The British Retail Consortium said it hoped the announcement "will make shoppers feel even more confident about returning to the High Street".

The decision will be fully outlined by UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock in a House of Commons statement following days of conflicting statements from Cabinet ministers. The confirmation follows Johnson's intervention over the issue on Monday, when he called on people to wear masks while the government considers enforcement

measures.