Part 1 of Are you covering up can be read here
Where this law does not apply
Face coverings are required to be worn in any shops, including food shops and supermarkets, but are not required in hospitality settings, including restaurants with table service, bars, and pubs. They are also not required in entertainment venues (such as cinemas or casinos), visitor attractions (such as heritage sites or museums), exercise and sports venues (such as gyms).
Where a shop is within another premises which does not require a face covering (such as a museum or other visitor attraction) they are required in the shop only. Check for signage upon entry and exit to know when this is the case.
When you can remove a face covering
You can remove your face covering in order to eat and drink if reasonably necessary (see Section 3). This should be in an area that is specifically for the purposes of eating and drinking, such as a food court.
If a shop or supermarket has a café or seating area for you to eat and drink, then you can remove your face covering in this area only. You must put a face covering back on once you leave your seating area.
The government’s guidance for keeping workers and customers safe during COVID-19 in restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services clearly advises that designated indoor seating areas for customers to eat or drink should at this time only be open for table service, where possible, alongside additional infection control measures.
Enforcement measures for failing to comply with this law
Measures can be taken if people do not comply with this law without a valid exemption.
Shops, supermarkets and other premises where face coverings are required are encouraged to take reasonable steps to promote compliance with the law and could refuse entry to anyone who does not have a valid exemption.
Transport operators can deny access to their public transport services if a passenger is not wearing a face covering, or direct them to wear one or leave a service if they are not wearing a face covering.
If necessary, the police and Transport for London (TfL) officers have enforcement powers including issuing fines of £100 (halving to £50 if paid within 14 days).
When you do not need to wear a face covering
In settings where face coverings are required in England, there are some circumstances, for health, age or equality reasons, where people are not expected to wear face coverings. Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances, noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings, and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.
It is not compulsory for shop or supermarket staff or transport workers to wear face coverings (see section 6), although employers may consider their use where appropriate and where other mitigations are not in place. Employers should continue to follow COVID-19 Secure guidelines to reduce the proximity and duration of contact between employees.
You do not need to wear a face covering if you have a legitimate reason not to. This includes (but is not limited to):
- young children under the age of 11 (Public Health England do not recommended face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)
- not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
- if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
- if you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
- to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
- to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
- to eat or drink if reasonably necessary
- in order to take medication
- if a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering
There are also scenarios when you are permitted to remove a face covering when asked:
- if asked to do so in a bank, building society, or post office for identification
- if asked to do so by shop staff or relevant employees for identification, the purpose of assessing health recommendations, such as a pharmacist, or for age identification purposes including when buying age restricted products such as alcohol
- if speaking with people who rely on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound. Some may ask you, either verbally or in writing, to remove a covering to help with communication
Exemption cards
Some people may feel more comfortable showing something that says they do not have to wear a face covering. This could be in the form of an exemption card, badge or even a home-made sign.
This is a personal choice and is not necessary in law.
Those who have an age, health or disability reason for not wearing a face covering should not be routinely asked to give any written evidence of this. Written evidence includes exemption cards.
Access exemption card templates
For exemptions in different parts of the UK please refer to the specific guidance for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Please note that making it clear you are exempt (as per creating an exemption badge or sign, is not necessary in law).
This is a personal choice, but in my opinion, wearing something like this is like a sign that you are different and might in itself be stressful.
Better to not wear anything (but there’s nothing stopping you having a badge in your pocket or indeed something like a medical prescription, if it gives more assurance.) Remember you are unlikely to need anything on the evidence in so far.
I wish you luck…
In the meantime, the new regulations are being studied to assess how to legally challenge them.
Photo by M.P.N.texan 
I laughed at the article’s spelling out of the legislation. So many contradictions. So many suggested loopholes.
Unfortunately though the Police State we now live in is No Laughing Matter.
This law with the fine for transgression, really has to be the bar to the medal for stupidity ! ….. Reasons of health are available for non-compliance, – Shop assistants are not getting involved, and nor are the Police, – so why make the law at all ? – Our laws are nose-diving as we watch !
People who claim there is no evidence of any beneficial effects of everyone wearing a mask are quite simply deluded. Those who don’t want to wear one because of their rights being infringed are clearly closet anarchists: people who refuse to do what they are told. A face mask provides more protection to those around you than it does to you. So you wearing a face mask shows you are considering the health and safety of others. Those not wearing a face mask clearly don’t give a sh*t about safeguarding other people: they are simply being selfish; which is a sad reflection on our society. Thatcherism taught us to be selfish and now children in the Thatcher years are adults and parents, perpetuating the “me, me, me!” culture. Breathe in a coronavirus if you like; but don’t then exhale more of the same to infect others. Masks are described by refuseniks as “muzzles”. Okay, muzzles are designed to protect others from the wearers. Others sneeringly call face masks “”face nappies”. Right: to stop the sh*t coming out of your mouth – either viral or verbal – from spreading.
Yeah, yeah. Its all Fatcher’s fault, just as is her Nanny State and ultra left teaching profession legacy. Give it a rest.
The time has passed for masking up – always assuming you can find and to afford a two micron filter. Even that may not be small enough.
The virus against a paper mask is like a chain link fence to its size.
I dont know if you have noticed that there are boat people arriving daily, from who knows what peste ridden country, plus thousands on airplanes for months now – and where were you then?
Look around you. Beaches, playgrounds, holidays abroad, not to mention many offices who have been going to communal work places without hazmat suits and so on since the lockdown – yes. The number of people walking around in large groups and gone back to driving around has been getting back to normal. All these people have worked out the futility of the bullsh-one-t imposed on us.
If you got out more instead of pooping yourself at home with terror, you would see the changes for yourself.
Alluding to an Americanism, wake up and smell the coffee.
Well said B. A huge percentage of those altruistic, muzzled sheep drifting around supermarkets and shopping centres since Mask Friday never once wore a mask to the shops while the “pandemic” was “raging” over the last four months. Shops aren’t care homes or hospitals. They aren’t full of very sick, elderly people. How come all the supermarket staff aren’t wearing black armbands for their fallen colleagues? Guess there aren’t that many. If i recall correctly 109 in England out of what? 1m in retail? And nothing to say they caught it at work anyway.
I’ve said it before and I’ll ask it again: which law, exactly?
Remember. your medical condition and history is confidential. You dont have to discuss it with anyone outside a medical setting, i.e with a doc or nurse.
You dont have to show prescriptions. just say you are exempt. They should really not ask you.
if someone demands evidence, they are breaking disability law.
This starts to make me angry. Everything about it is wrong, and flatly denying evidence. It is designed to annoy. Why?
Who what where when why how.? Let us look to see what will be left afterwards.Let us look look at the broad strokes.
Governments are certainly taking powers. The left is surviving whilest enterprise is destroyed. Has it affected China and Russia. How about Islam is this affected? .Saudi and Iran still fighting ? And Africa ? India ( a bastion of western values seems to be suffering ) ?. S America, SE Asia, Those are the recipients..In which direction are they and their populations going.
The young and working population is still cpmplete and will be docile.. World wide. ( Except for the teaching unions )
It becomes obvious, We are being prepared for farming. ?
And my guess L.J is that we haven’t seen anything yet, wait until the winter ‘spike’ and the new guidelines , regulations and ‘laws’ appear !
Other ‘ officials’ include : PCSOs , HPOs, Civil Enforcement Officer, Housing Official, Anti Social Behaviour Officer, Tax Official, Highways England Traffic Officer, Driving Examiner, Customs Official, Border Force Official, School Attendance Officer, Local Government Official, Civil Servant Official, No wonder the private citizen is beginning to wonder how all these people are going to be paid for, as 14000 private company employees a day are being made redundant , just how many redundancies have been announced in the Public Sector so far? Now we hear following on from ‘teachers’ refusing to return to work in many places, the ‘CivIl Service’ has said it will go on strike, if ordered to go back unless its ‘safe’…..
What disgraceful coercion this is. The Muzzle-Up Project, part of the Prole Control Programme.