Face Coverings

Face coverings must now be worn inside shops and enclosed public spaces to protect others from the spread of Covid-19.

Coverings need to cover the nose and mouth but can be anything from a simple fabric covering, to a scarf or bandana. Medical-grade face masks and PPE are reserved for special situations such as health and care settings.

See the government's guidance on wearing face coverings.

Where to wear a face covering

People aged 11+ must now wear a face covering (unless exempt):

• On public transport
• In shops, banks, supermarkets and Post Offices
• When buying items, including food and drink to take away from cafes and shops
• Inside indoor train stations and terminals, airports, maritime ports, and indoor bus and coach stations or terminals
• funeral directors
• premises providing professional, legal or financial services
• cinemas
• theatres
• bingo halls
• concert halls
• museums, galleries, aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms, or other indoor tourist, heritage or cultural sites
• nail, beauty, hair salons and barbers - other than where necessary to remove for treatments
• massage parlours
• public areas in hotels and hostels
• places of worship
• libraries and public reading rooms
• community centres
• social clubs
• tattoo and piercing parlours
• indoor entertainment venues (amusement arcades, funfairs, adventure activities such as laser quest, go-karting, escape rooms, heritage sites)
• storage and distribution facilities
• veterinary services
• auction houses

Face coverings can be removed when eating or drinking on-site.

Safely wearing a face covering

People wearing face coverings should continue to:

• wash their hands or use hand sanitiser before putting one on or taking it off
• avoid taking it off and putting it back on again a lot in quick succession
• store it in a plastic bag in between washes or wearing
• avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth while wearing one

Exemptions

Face coverings do not have to be worn by:

Anyone under the age of 11
Those with disabilities or certain health conditions, such as respiratory or cognitive impairments that make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

Read the government's full list of exemptions.

Exemption cards

Individuals do not need to prove they have an exemption. To ensure anyone unable to wear a face covering can feel confident to visit local shops, we have produced a range of exemption cards that can be saved or printed for use when shopping or using public transport.

The cards are not essential, but available should you wish to carry one.

Cards can either be saved to a device for use when out, or printed and folded in half. Users can display as little or as much information as they feel comfortable with.

• Right click on the exemption card most relevant to you.
• If you are on a phone, you can tap and hold the image to download.
• Select 'Save' or 'Save As' option, on a mobile you will be prompted to 'Download' or 'Save' image into your downloads folder.
• Choose where you would like the image saved, this could be in your documents folder, on your desktop or in your image gallery.
• Once the image of the card has been saved you can locate it and print a copy whenever you need one.