Every single supermarket in England will be affected by a new law being enforced from today.
Shoppers in England will no longer be required by law to wear a face mask in stores as of Thursday (January 27), reports Manchester Evening News.
Henceforth, it will fall to the discretion of the individual to decide if they wish to wear a mask or not, as was the case in 2021 before the compulsory measure was reintroduced to combat the threat of Omicron last November.
READ: Every Covid rule being lifted today - updates
Retailers and other businesses are now able to enforce their own policy - customers will likely see posters on walls advising their own guidance - but supermarkets that have confirmed their policies say they will be following Government guidance, meaning shoppers will be encouraged, but not required, to wear a face covering.
Most of the big supermarket chains will allow customers to make up their own minds about masking wearing in their stores, while some have revealed they will be trying to maintain the policy.
Will I have to wear a mask in supermarkets after Plan B?
Plan B will no longer apply from today, meaning businesses in England are free to set their own regulations on wearing masks.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said retailers, in general, will be asking customers to "be considerate to those around them when choosing whether to wear a face covering and to respect the decision of other customers".
Mask-wearing will continue to be enforced in Wales and Scotland. Below is a list of the current face mask policies from England's major supermarket chains.
Aldi
Supermarket chain Aldi has not yet confirmed what its policy will be on masks. It is most likely they will follow the advice of the British Retail Consortium, and encourage shoppers to make a considered choice on wearing face masks and when, but it won't force customers to wear them.
The last time mask laws were removed, in July 2021, Aldi switched to encouraging customers to continue wearing masks, but left the choice up to them.
Asda
Asda hasn't confirmed exactly what its policy will be, but back in July 2021 it followed Government advice and encouraged customers to wear masks, but left the choice up to them.
It is likely Asda will do the same when Plan B ends.
Co-op
On their website, the Co-op's guidance still reads: "You must wear a face covering in all our stores, unless you're exempt. We're asking all our customers to do this to help keep everybody safe."
Despite this, Co-Op was one of several supermarket chains to say it will not enforce new mask wearing rules to avoid their staff being abused by customers back in December last year.
Their guidance is likely to change in line with the new Government regulations since Plan B measures were relaxed.
Lidl
When ChronicleLive contacted Lidl, a spokesperson directed us to the advice from the British Retail Consortium, which asks customers to consider continuing to wear masks. It means Lidl will leave the choice up to customers.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "The Government’s decision to remove Plan B restrictions, including wearing face coverings in a retail setting will enable shopping to return to more normal experience for customers, employees and businesses. 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."
Marks & Spencer's
The M&S website still reads that face coverings are mandatory for all shoppers across all UK stores, with the exemption of young children and people with certain health conditions.
Customers were not required to wear at the M&S cafes when seated to eat or drink. The guidance on the site will likely change soon to reflect the end of Plan B restrictions.
Morrisons
"We will be continuing to follow Government guidelines," a Morrisons spokesperson told ChronicleLive when asked if customers will have to wear masks from January 27.
That means shoppers in Morrisons will be encouraged to make a "considerate" decision on whether to wear a face-covering or not, but they will not have to wear masks by law.
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Sainsbury's
Masks will continue to be actively encouraged in Sainsbury's after Plan B for those who are able to wear them. The supermarket says it will retain safety measures like screens and sanitising stations.
A spokesperson told ChronicleLive: "Safety remains our highest priority. From Thursday, we’re asking our customers and colleagues in England to continue to wear a face covering in our stores if they are able to.
"In Scotland and Wales face coverings remain mandatory for those who can wear them in our stores, in line with the latest Government restrictions.
"We continue to have a range of safety measures in all of our stores, including screens and sanitising stations."
Tesco
It looks likely Tesco will follow its rivals and introduce a voluntary mask policy, but customers who can wear one will be encouraged to do so.
Tesco has yet to confirm its updated policy, but that's what it did the last time a mandatory mask law was withdrawn in July last year.
Waitrose
While Waitrose will continue to encourage face covering to be worn in their stores, a spokeswoman has acknowledged it will be down to "personal choice".
A spokeswoman for John Lewis and Partners, which includes Waitrose supermarkets, said: “We value the safety of our customers and partners and continue to follow the latest Government guidelines.
“From Thursday January 27, we’ll be suggesting people wear masks in our stores, although it will be down to individuals to make a personal choice.”
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