Shop assistants and retail workers will be legally required to wear face coverings from this Thursday (24 September), announced prime minister Boris Johnson in a televised speech.The new guidance also applies to people who provide close contact services, such as hairdressers, beauticians, dress fitters, tailors and fashion designers.
Also affected will be customers in hospitality venues like pubs, cafes and restaurants, except when seated at a table to eat or drink. And all businesses selling food and drink, including social clubs, casinos, funfairs, theme parks, bowling alleys and bingo halls must be closed between 10pm and 5am.Additionally, designated businesses, including hospitality and close contact service venues, will be legally required to display official NHS QR code posters as an alternative to logging details of customers.The measures are designed to reduce interactions between people and halt the rise of the virus, which has started to spread again across the UK. “We need to suppress the virus now, and as for that minority who may continue to flout the rules, we will enforce those rules with tougher penalties and fines of up to £10,000,” PM Boris Johnson said in his speech. He added: “If people don’t follow the rules we have set out, then we must reserve the right to go further. We must take action now because a stitch in time saves nine; and this way we can keep people in work, we can keep our shops and our schools open, and we can keep our country moving forward while we work together to suppress the virus.”The controversial announcement sparked a swathe of dire warnings about the impact of the new restrictions on businesses and the economy.