UK makes face masks mandatory in closed spaces to curb COVID-19 spread

The United Kingdom's government has issued new guidelines making wearing face-covering in closed spaces compulsory. Under the new rules, wearing face masks across most indoor places is now a legal requirement, which has been done to block the spread of the coronavirus disease.

According to reports, people will now have to wear face masks while visiting cinema halls, museums, places of worship, and aquarium among other places such as public transport, shops, and markets, where face coverings were made compulsory last month. 

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Compulsory mask in the UK

In June, England made the face masks mandatory on public transport and anyone that failed to comply was slapped with a £100 fine, according to reports. Masks were also made mandatory on transportation in Scotland, but over there banks and salons are also included on the list. While the UK government was initially hesitant about advising people to wear a face mask, PM Boris Johnson recently said that the balance of scientific opinions seems to have shifted in favour of face coverings and the government is keen to follow the advice. 

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According to figures reported by the Johns Hopkins University, the United Kingdom has recorded over 3,10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 45,000 deaths as of August 7. The United Kingdom is one of the worst-hit nations in Europe and across the world. The country has one of the highest deaths per million as compared to some of its other peers in the west. Meanwhile, the world has logged in over 19 million infections and at least 7, 22,000 deaths due to coronavirus pandemic. 

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(Image Credit: AP)