Here's when face coverings will become mandatory in shops - and the fines you face if you break the rules

From that day, anyone entering a supermarket or shop in England should have their nose and mouth covered, or risk a £100 fine.

Fines will be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days but it will be up to the police to dish out penalty notices.

Business owners and shop workers cannot hand out fines themselves, but will be able to refuse service or entry to anyone not wearing a face covering.

The regulations will be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act of 1984.

It has taken four months of lockdown for face coverings to finally become mandatory in shops, as the Government has been reluctant to enforce making their use compulsory.

This is due to the fact that current guidance states that coverings don’t provide significant protection to the wearer. However, they may protect others if people are infected but have not yet developed symptoms.

Senior Government advisors have warned that face coverings can give people a false sense of security as they over-rely on ‘ineffective homemade masks’ rather than thorough hand hygiene and observing social distancing measures.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) says incorrect use of coverings - such as putting them on incorrectly, touching the face more than normal and reusing dirty ones - could increase the spread of infection.

Face coverings are already mandatory on public transport and in hospitals. Official guidance also recommends wearing a face covering in any enclosed public space where social distancing is not possible.

An effective face covering is a fabric item that provides snug coverage of the mouth and nose area, it is not the same as a face mask or PPE that should be reserved for frontline healthcare workers.

Under the new rules, children under 11 and people with certain disabilities and breathing conditions will not be required to wear a face covering in shops.

While face coverings are in place to protect others, if you have symptoms of coronavirus such as a cough, fever or loss of smell, you must stay at home.

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