Three of the UK’s biggest supermarkets say their face mask policies will remain in place from today, despite the government lifting Plan B restrictions across England.
Chains such as Sainsbury's, John Lewis, Waitrose and Morrisons will ask customers to wear masks in their supermarkets despite face coverings no longer being mandatory.
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that coverings will remain compulsory on the Tube and buses despite figures showing the capital has the lowest coronavirus case rate in the country.
Plan B coronavirus measures in England were dropped today after Boris Johnson promised a route back to "complete normality".
Last night Sajid Javid, the health secretary, boasted of "restoring more freedoms to this country".
Sainsbury's said: "Safety remains our highest priority. We're asking our customers and colleagues in England to continue to wear a face covering in our stores if they are able to."
A spokeswoman for John Lewis and Partners, which includes Waitrose, said: "We'll be suggesting people wear masks in our stores, although it will be down to individuals to make a personal choice."
In London, face coverings will remain a "condition of carriage".-
Paddy Lillis, the head of Usdaw, the shop workers' union, said it was "deeply disappointing that the government has ploughed on with ending mandatory face coverings in shops" and that many retailers would "keep Covid safety measures in stores".
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said it was "essential" that retailers clearly communicated their masks policy. He added: "Covid-related abuse, especially around the wearing of face coverings, has been a significant problem for retailers and colleagues throughout the pandemic, so we ask all customers to be respectful of the policies in place in their local shops."
The government guidance continues to recommend face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, particularly when people mix with others they do not normally meet.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said that the removal of plan B measures would "enable shopping to return to a more normal experience for customers, employees and businesses".
She said: "Retailers ask customers to be considerate to those around them when choosing whether to wear a face covering and to respect the decision of other customers. Retailers continue to implement many other existing safety measures such as hand sanitiser and perspex screens."
Beyond the capital the Rail Delivery Group said that train operators would ask passengers to wear masks "out of courtesy to others".
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A spokesman said: "We expect most passengers will do the right thing and follow this advice."
Local directors of public health are also still able to recommend face coverings in communal areas of schools and colleges.
Despite the end of plan B, it is still a legal requirement for those with Covid- 19 to self-isolate for ten days, with the option to end self-isolation after five full days following two negative lateral flow tests.
The end of the Government's Plan B virus curbs also axes NHS passes being needed for entry to large venues and nightclubs.
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: "Businesses across the night-time economy will celebrate. Covid passports... have not only directly impacted trade but have left a legacy of misplaced blame on a sector which fought to avoid the implementation of this debilitating and divisive mitigation."
Viral droplets travel eight times further when somebody who speaks or coughs is not wearing a surgical facemask, according to a study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
