Following months of dither and delay, mixed messaging from the government and a cabinet split, face coverings will become mandatory in shops, supermarkets and takeaways in England from Friday.
Anyone found not to be wearing a mask in each of these settings could be fined up to £100, under plans announced by health secretary Matt Hancock on 13 July.
It is already compulsory to wear a face mask when travelling on all modes of public transport.
Download the new Independent Premium app
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
The debate around face masks has been rumbling on since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in March. The World Health Organisation (WHO) initially said they were of limited use in tackling the virus.
But the health body updated its official guidance in June, citing growing evidence suggesting that face coverings can help slow the spread of the disease when worn in enclosed spaces.
Some, however, say the evidence is flimsy, arguing that the presence of face masks in public is deterring people form returning to “normal life” and therefore holding back the UK’s economic recovery.
In the UK, tensions in government came to a head on 12 July when Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that face masks should not be mandatory in shops, appearing to contradict indications made by his boss, Boris Johnson, the previous week.
Mr Hancock made his announcement the following day, meaning England will now join Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece in making face masks compulsory inside shops.
The announcement came a little over a week after Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish first minister, made face coverings mandatory in shops, leading some commentators to accuse the PM of caving to pressure to change public advice.
Below is a timeline of some of the major twists and turns and changing advice in the face mask debate.
The latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox
11 March
Downing Street releases video of PM in conversation with England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries.
Ms Harries tells the PM that it is a bad idea to wear a face mask unless told to do so by healthcare professional.
16 April
Transport secretary Grant Shapps tells Good Morning Britain there is little value in wearing a face mask.
“It’s absolutely right that we base this (face mask guidance) on the medical advice not on what a politician has woken up and thought about that day”.
17 April
London mayor Sadiq Khan urges government to follow other countries around the world in urging the public to wear face masks where social distancing difficult, including on public transport and shops.
26 April
British Medical Association (BMA) calls on the government to explore use of face masks in public.
“There is some emerging evidence that if mouths and noses are covered when people are out and about, it may help in controlling the spread of infection of COVID-19 and so save lives,” said BMA chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul.
4 June
Transport scecretary Grant Shapps announces face masks will become mandatory on all modes of public transport from 15 June.
5 June
WHO updates guidance on wearing face masks, saying they should be used in spaces where it is difficult to keep two metres, such as shops.
2 July
Nicola Sturgeon announces face masks will become mandatory in shops from 10 July.
13 July
UK government announces face masks to be made mandatory in shops, supermarkets and takeaways from 24 July.
