The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings in a Relevant Place) (England) Regulations 2020 have been published, requiring the public to wear face coverings when entering or remaining within a “relevant place”.

Relevant place includes shops, enclosed shopping centres, banks, building societies and credit unions, and post offices.

The following are NOT included:

• Restaurants, bars and pubs
• Public libraries and public reading rooms.
• Premises providing professional, legal or financial services.
• Premises (other than registered pharmacies) providing wholly or mainly medical or dental services, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractic, osteopathic, optometry or other medical services including services relating to mental health.
• Veterinary services.
• Cinemas.
• Theatres.
• Museums, galleries (other than for the sale or hire of artwork), aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms, or other indoor tourist, heritage or cultural sites.
• Nightclubs.
• Dance halls.
• Bingo halls.
• Concert halls, exhibition halls or other public hall.
• Conference and exhibition centres.
• Indoor fitness studios, gyms, dance studios, leisure centres, indoor swimming pools, water parks, bowling alleys, funfairs, theme parks, amusement arcades, indoor soft play areas, skating rinks or other premises for indoor sports, leisure, adventure or recreation activities.
• Indoor sports arenas or stadia.
• Casinos.
• Hotels and hostels.
• Spas.
• Nail, beauty, hair salons and barbers.
• Tattoo and piercing parlours.
• Massage parlours.
• Storage and distribution centres.
• Funeral directors.
• Photography studios.
• Auction houses.

The requirement to wear face coverings does not apply to:

• Children (under 11 years)
• Business owners, employers or employees in their workplaces
• an employee of an operator of a public transport service acting in the course of their employment;
• a person who enters or is within a transport hub in a vehicle (other than a vehicle being used for the provision of a public transport service);
• a constable or police community support officer acting in the course of their duty;
• an emergency responder (other than a constable) acting in their capacity as an emergency responder;
• a relevant official acting in the course of their employment or their duties. (includes local authority officers, inspectors / surveyors of ships and H&S officers, pilots, civil aviation inspectors, and border force officers).

The Secretary of State must carry out a review of the need for the requirements in these Regulations within the period of 6 months of their coming into force.

View the Regulations

View the Guidance