These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (England) Regulations 2021 (“the principal Regulations”) to add to the list of places where face coverings must be worn, provide for gatherings where face coverings need not be worn, correct errors in the principal Regulations, remove the powers of the Secretary of State to disapply its legal requirements for the purposes of legal research, and clarify which persons are potentially liable to prosecution for an offence in relation to contraventions of regulations 6 and 7. They also extend the period during which the Regulations are in force until 26th January 2022.

Places where face coverings must be worn includes:

1. Shops
2. Enclosed shopping centres
3. Banks, building societies, credit unions, short-term loan providers, savings clubs and undertakings which by way of business operate a currency exchange office, transmit money (or any representation of money) by any means or cash cheques which are made payable to customers
4. Post Offices
5. Places of worship
6. Crematoria and burial ground chapels, and for these purposes, “crematorium” means a building fitted with appliances for burning human remains, and includes everything incidental or ancillary thereto
7. Community centres, youth centres, members’ clubs and social clubs
8. Public areas in hotels and hostels
9. Concert halls, exhibition halls, conference centres and other public halls
10. Cinemas
11. Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and visitor farms, and other tourist, heritage or cultural sites
12. Bingo halls
13. Public libraries and reading rooms
14. Casinos
15. Theatres
16. Premises which are being used as or which contain a polling station for an election or referendum which is held in accordance with provision made by or under an Act
17. Premises which are being used for the opening of postal votes, or the counting of votes, cast in an election or referendum which is held in accordance with provision made by or under an Act
18. Play and soft play areas and soft play centres
19. Snooker and pool halls
20. Amusement arcades and adult gaming centres
21. Games and recreation venues (including laser quest, escape rooms and recreational driving facilities)
22. Skating rinks
23. Circuses
24. Theme parks, fairgrounds, funfairs, and adventure parks
25. Sports stadia
26. Sexual entertainment venues, within the meaning of paragraph 2A of Schedule 3 to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982(16)