Doctors say people working in shops should also be wearing face masks

The new face covering rules in England came into effect last Friday, meaning it is now a legal requirement to wear a face mask or covering in shops and certain other establishments.

But while it is required for the public to wear a covering, shop staff are exempt from the new rules, something which the British Medical Association has criticised.

According to the BMA, people working in shops should also be wearing face coverings, and they’ve slammed the government’s policy as ‘confusing’.

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The BMA says that, unless there is an additional safety measure like a barrier or screen in place, staff should also wear masks to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

They added that the current policy is ‘entirely illogical’, and that employers should move to protect staff and customers by asking both to wear masks or coverings.

The BMA believes face coverings need to be worn in every setting where physical distancing is not possible between people from different ‘bubbles’.

Dr Peter English, BMA public health medicine committee chairman, said: “The virus does not discriminate between customers and staff, so to have one rule for one group, and a different one for another, is entirely illogical.

“Shop staff, for example, are likely to encounter many different people during their shift, and without other mitigating measures – for example cashiers sitting behind individual plastic screens – they too should be wearing effective face coverings.

“Customers being asked to wear face coverings will rightly question why staff are not required to do the same, and so businesses should lead by example, and honour their duty of care to both their employees and the public.

“The BMA has consistently raised the problem of mixed messages around face coverings and this is just another example of confusing Government policy.

“These rules should clearly be extended to apply to staff, and in the meantime, employers should do the decent thing and ensure those employees who are unable to keep two metres from one another or customers are wearing face coverings.”