Face masks "should" be worn in shops, says Boris Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said today that shoppers "should" wear face masks or face coverings in shops and says that fresh guidance on the matter will be issued later this week.

Speaking to Sky News today Johnson said: “The scientific evidence of face coverings, and the importance of stopping aerosol droplets; that’s been growing. So I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering.”

He added that he believed a face covering, which is already mandatory on public transport and in shops in Scotland, provided "extra insurance" again a resurgence of COVID-19.

The news follows on from comments Johnson made last week in an online Q&A with the public in which he hinted that as more people start going out and about and returning to the shops, and therefore coming into contact with people they don't know, that official government guidance might change.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove caused some confusion at the weekend saying while he believed masks should be worn in shops, he didn't believe it should be made mandatory.

But Johnson has said he is considering what “tools of enforcement” the Government might use to ensure compliance for any new guidance.

The Government is also ramping up its production capacity for masks in anticipation of a surge in demand and many fashion brands and retailers are already offering masks as part of their accessories offers.