Asda and Tesco are also banning shoppers without masks unless they’re exempt

Tesco and Asda are the latest supermarkets to enforce the mask rule, joining Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. 

The two supermarkets have followed in the footsteps of Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, who have both already announced this week that they will be banning maskless shoppers in-store.

A Tesco spokesperson said on Tuesday: “Since the start of the pandemic, we have focused on ensuring everyone can get the food they need in a safe environment.

“To protect our customers and colleagues, we won’t let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with Government guidance.

“We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they’re a carer or with children. To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.”

The statement continued: “Our colleagues are working hard in difficult circumstances to make sure everyone can get what they need, and we’d ask everyone to please be kind, patient and respectful as we all work to keep each other safe.”

An Asda spokesperson said: “If a customer has forgotten their face covering, we will continue to offer them one free of charge but, should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry.”

The news of supermarkets clamping down on the rule comes after vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi raised concerns regarding how the public were not complying with measures.

“I am worried about supermarkets and people actually wearing masks and following the one-way system and making sure when it’s at capacity they wait outside the supermarket,” he said.

Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “I think that, understandably, following the November lockdown there was an element of release and therefore the person at the door, the sanitation station, the traffic light system, the queues outside obviously receded a bit.

“What we hope now, and I know all of them will, that they’ll see their responsibility and start to put those things back in place.”

Matt Hancock had previously praised Morrisons and Sainsbury’s for taking the lead on this policy. “That’s the right approach”, the health secretary said.