This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Keep requirement to wear a face covering in shops & supermarkets after July 19th
Keep the legal requirement to wear a face covering in shops & supermarkets after July 19th, until there is a substantial decline in Covid 19 transmission cases and more of the population double-jabbed.
More details
Until the Delta variant was allowed to proliferate in the UK, the battle was being won against Covid 19 but with the recent upsurge in cases, I believe that face coverings should continue to be worn in shops and supermarkets.
I believe that the longer the virus is allowed to circulate, the greater the risk of more variants developing. With this risk, could be an even greater risk of a variant appearing which could render the vaccines useless.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 30 July 2021
Face coverings are not required but still expected and recommended when in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces with people you do not usually see, such as shops, which may still encourage their use.
Read the response in full
As the four tests have been met, and with over 85% of the adult population now having had at least one dose of a vaccine, the Government has moved England to Step 4 in its Road Map, which means moving away from legal rules to an approach that enables personal, risk-based judgements. The removal of laws requiring the wearing of face coverings in certain settings is part of this transition.
However, the risks posed by COVID-19 have not completely gone away, and wearing a face covering can still help reduce the risk to others as well as to the wearer themselves. That is why our guidance is clear: the Government recommends and indeed expects that people continue to wear face coverings in indoor spaces where they come into contact with other people they do not normally meet, particularly in situations where the risk of transmission is greater, such as enclosed or crowded spaces or where the ventilation is poor.
Businesses – including shops and supermarkets – may continue to encourage through signage or even require the use of face coverings, by customers and workers, through their door policy. Businesses have always been free to set their own entry policies, as long as they meet existing legal obligations including under equalities law.
Department of Health and Social Care