share this article!

image courtesy of Getty Images With the lifting of prohibitions in England on July 19, wearing face masks will become a “personal choice,” according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. However, it appears that businesses and individuals will interpret the development in different ways. While several airlines have guaranteed that face masks would remain mandatory after July 19, stores, pubs, and hairdressers are changing their policy. Masks should remain necessary on public transportation, in stores, and in crowded locations, according to the World Health Organization. So, what are the objectives a day after the government’s announcement? image courtesy of Getty Images Masks will be required regardless of the departure destination, according to Ryanair. This is in line with existing recommendations from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, according to a spokeswoman. British Airways says it sees no need to change its existing standards, which require employees and customers to wear masks, but that it is always reviewing its policy. Customers on EasyJet and Virgin have also been advised to keep wearing their seatbelts for the time being. Jet2 passengers who do not have a face mask will not be allowed to board their flight unless they have given a prior justification for not wearing one. image courtesy of Getty Images Traveling by train is “low risk,” according to the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, and “any choice to leave public transportation behind other sections of the economy would need to be based on research.” Trains are “properly ventilated,” according to the report, with air being “refreshed on a frequent basis either by air conditioning systems or by opening doors and windows.” Wearing a mask, however, can help safeguard other rail passengers, according to the organisation. The Unite union, on the other hand, has stated that removing masks from public transportation would be “grave negligence.” Bobby Morton, Unite’s national officer for passenger transport, mentioned the frequency of deaths caused by Covid among bus drivers. “Infection rates are continuing to rise, and wearing a mask not only helps to prevent transmissions, but it also provides reassurance to drivers and passengers who are worried about utilizing public transportation.” image courtesy of Getty Images Clive Watson, CEO of the City Pub Group, which operates 45 pubs in the south of England and Wales, says masks will be encouraged after July 19 and that table service will be maintained to the greatest extent practicable. “We don’t want a free-for-all scrum at the bar with a long line,” he explains. Mr Watson says he wants to keep half of all orders coming through their app, so employees will be urged to keep wearing masks. The easing of all limitations, according to Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, which owns 1,000 pubs, is “far overdue.” He goes on to say that the 19th of July is “essential for the survival of our industry,” as it will “help community centers across the UK and allow businesses to resume normal operations.” Andrew Barker, a pub landlord in north Lancashire, predicts that if limitations are lifted, hospitality operators will remain cautious. Mr Barker, who owns numerous pubs in Lancaster, is urging customers to be responsible, telling the BBC: “I don’t see how anyone could police it if they want to continue in business without masks being necessary.” copyrightPA MediaShop employees’ union The United Steelworkers of America (USdaw) has encouraged the government not to lift the Covid safety safeguards in stores. “Every day, retail workers interact with the public and are quite concerned about catching Covid-19,” says Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary. “This is not the moment to dumb down store safety, and the government should not be reducing the regulations for facial coverings and physical separation in crowded public places like stores.” After July 19, however, Sainsbury’s president Simon Roberts says mask wearing in stores will be a matter of “personal choice.” Customers will be “encouraged” to wear masks, according to the Westfield retail centre company. Nando’s, a restaurant chain, says it’s too early to say what its position will be, and that it’ll have to wait for “complete information next week before we can finalize our position.” copyright to the image Salons Bloggs Lesley Blair, chair of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC), a membership organization and insurer for industry professionals, agrees that mask wearing should continue in England beyond July 19. According to Ms. Blair, the organization would encourage members to consider the evidence in their risk assessments and to continue to wear their masks “particularly when working in the breathing zone.” Joe Hemmings, who owns two salons in Bristol, says he’ll take a stepped approach to mask wearing among smaller businesses: “To go from all PPE to nothing in an instant is far too drastic for the mere fact of people’s fear and the necessity for protection.” Eight of his 17 employees are under the age of 30 and will not have received their second vaccination until July 19th. “We need to make sure we can defend the squad in whatever way we can,” he says. Mr Hemmings says it’s a “tough one” if clients refuse to wear masks, but he’ll “had to respect” their decision. “We’d like to think that wearing them indoors is in everyone’s best interest,” he adds. Because it would cost at least £3,000 to close the salons for one day due to a case, he aims to phase out masks over a three-month period, depending on local case counts in Bristol. Sarah Laker, the owner of Stationery Supplies in Cheshire, says she will not require clients to wear masks because she believes it has “significantly harmed” her business, and that having to urge customers to wear them has resulted in certain cases in which customers have gotten hostile. “Customers aren’t comfortable in them,” she told the BBC, “so they either visit the shop and don’t browse or shop online instead.” Pandemic of Coronavirus Easyjet Traveling by plane Ryanair British Airways is a British airline./nRead More

share this article!