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From Thursday, face coverings will no longer be required by law as the Government returns to plan A measures.
Public health guidance, which suggests people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where they come in to contact with strangers, will stay in place.
But customers in two major supermarkets will continue to be asked to wear masks despite the legal requirement for face coverings coming to an end.
Some supermarkets will continue to either ask or suggest that shoppers don a mask, with one large chain saying “safety remains our highest priority”.
Read more : West London shopper ‘fuming’ as she receives parking ticket after fire alarm goes off in Marks and Spencer
(Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Both Sainsbury’s and John Lewis said their customers will be asked to wear masks, though the latter acknowledged it will ultimately come down to “personal choice”.
A spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s said: “Safety remains our highest priority. From Thursday (January 27), we’re asking our customers and colleagues in England to continue to wear a face covering in our stores if they are able to.”
They added stores “continue to have a range of safety measures… including screens and sanitising stations”.
A spokeswoman for John Lewis and Partners, which includes Waitrose supermarkets, said: “We value the safety of our customers and partners and continue to follow the latest Government guidelines.
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“From Thursday January 27, we’ll be suggesting people wear masks in our stores, although it will be down to individuals to make a personal choice.”
A spokeswoman for Morrisons said: “We will be continuing to follow the Government guidelines.” rendering it unclear without their specific face mask policy is.
Trade union Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) welcomed the retention of Covid-safety measures in some stores.
The union general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “It is deeply disappointing that the Government has ploughed on with ending mandatory face coverings in shops tomorrow, despite the concerns of shop workers.
“So we welcome early indications from some in the retail industry that they will keep Covid safety measure in stores, and we hope all retailers will continue to put staff and customer safety first.”
Boris Johnson urged the public to “exercise judgement” on whether to wear a mask.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Like everyone else, it will be a matter of personal judgment, so he will continue to exercise his judgement on where he might find himself.”
(Image: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Wire)
Meanwhile, commuters on London’s public transport network will s till be required to wear face coverings, with the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan calling on people to “do the right thing”.
In a statement last week, he said: “If we have learnt anything from this pandemic, it is that we must not get complacent and undo all our hard work and sacrifices.
“That’s why face coverings will remain a condition of carriage on Transport for London (TfL) services. I’m asking everyone in our capital to do the right thing and continue to wear a face covering when travelling on TfL services to keep us all protected and to prevent further restrictions from being necessary later down the line.”
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