WEARING a face covering in shops and supermarkets is to be made mandatory in England in a fresh move to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the Government has announced.

Anyone failing to comply with the order – which comes into force on Friday, July 24 – could face a fine of up to £100.

The move follows a weekend of confusion over whether ministers intended to make face coverings compulsory after Boris Johnson said they were looking at “stricter” rules.

The senior Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Sunday he did not believe they should be mandatory and that it was better to “trust people’s common sense”.

However, during a visit to the London Ambulance Service on Monday, the Prime Minister offered the clearest signal he was going down the route of compulsion, saying the Government was looking at the “tools of enforcement”.

Ahead of today's expected announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a No 10 spokesman said: “There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus.

“The Prime Minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24.”

The move will bring England into line with Scotland, where face coverings are already mandatory in shops.

Coronavirus – Mon Jul 13, 2020Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask, elbow bumps an employee during a visit to the London Ambulance Service (Ben Stansall/PA)

The regulations will be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, with a maximum fine of £100 – reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days.

Enforcement of the regulations will be the responsibility of the police.

While shop workers will be asked to encourage compliance, retailers and businesses will not be expected to enforce them.

As is the case on public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.

CoronavirusShoppers in Glasgow where face coverings are already mandatory in stores (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the Government needed to issue detailed guidance on the new requirement “as soon as possible”.

“Businesses need clarity on the approach to the wearing of face coverings that is consistent and supported by public health evidence,” said BCC co-executive director Claire Walker.