Should you wear a mask in a coffee shop? What about a takeaway? If you’re finding it confusing, there is one simple approach to follow
Masks became mandatory in a range of public places in England on Friday, after a long hiatus during which government ministers couldn’t agree on what to do about them. The list of places is explicable but not intuitive: you should wear a mask in shops and supermarkets, and also in takeaways and coffee shops, but not if you are sitting at a table to eat or drink.
A friend runs a bar that also sells records, and explains patiently when people go in that if they’re having a beer, they don’t have to mask up; if they’re buying a record, they do. If they’re drinking a beer while browsing for records, they can remain face-naked until they buy a record, then they have to put a mask on, unless they want another beer. I can easily imagine people going there deliberately to make some kind of mask statement, but then my friend will sell more beer, so what’s the harm?
Related: Coronavirus: in which shops do I have to wear face masks in England?
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