Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Friday 30th 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.

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