Staff at Grantham Downtown required to continue wearing face coverings after 'Freedom Day'

From July 19, it will not be a legal requirement to wear a facemask while out and about.

However, with Boris Johnson set to announce that the Government expects and recommends face coverings to be worn in crowded areas, such as public transport, not everyone will be throwing their face masks away just yet.

Downtown announced to their employees today that staff will continue to be required to wear a face mask, barring medical exceptions, with customers also encouraged to do so.

Richard Broadhead, managing director at Downtown, explained the thinking behind the request.

He said: "Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the safety and wellbeing of our employees and customers has been, and will continue to be, our overriding priority. Which is why we asked our staff to wear face coverings in our stores even before it was a legal requirement.

"Yesterday evening, the Prime Minister confirmed that the final stage of lockdown easing will go ahead on Monday July 19.

"Consequently, with effect from next Monday it will no longer be a legal requirement for face coverings to be worn in shops.

"However, we have decided that our employees, those who are not exempt on medical grounds or because of a disability, will continue to be required to wear a face covering in our stores as if the legal requirement had not been lifted; and our customers will be encouraged (although not compelled) to continue wearing face coverings within our stores.

"Whilst it would clearly be more comfortable for us all not to wear face coverings, we do not feel that relaxing this requirement is the right thing to do at this time, or that it would be in the best interests of our employees or our customers, given the fact that the average number of daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 is currently rising so sharply.

"We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation, and Government guidance, very closely.

"Downtown would like to thank everyone who has to wear a face covering whilst at work for continuing to do so, and to thank all our customers in advance for their support and cooperation.

"We're proud to continue playing our part, by keeping those around us in our workplaces as safe as we can."