Chesterfield shopkeepers react to mandatory face masks rule
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All shoppers will have to wear a face covering when making a trip to the supermarket or high street after the Government announced new legislation to make them mandatory in England.
Shop owners and staff in Chesterfield have reacted positively to the development and hope it will encourage people to start visiting the high street again with more confidence.
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Hide AdEmily Lord, who re-opened well-known town store Fred’s Haberdashery earlier this year, says it should have happened sooner.
“My assistants and I have been wearing masks since we reopened in June,” she said.
"We felt very strongly that we didn't want to be responsible for inadvertently passing the virus on to any of our customers.
"Many of our customers have also been choosing to wear masks and we are grateful to them for doing so.
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"We must all do our best to look after each other and wearing a mask along with following social distancing guidelines seems a sensible, effective precaution.”
James Pogson, a director at Chesterfield’s Northern Tea Merchants, said he also welcomed the move.
"I want my staff to be as safe as they possibly can be while they are at work, and good service isn’t hampered by a face mask, apart from the smile,” he said.
"I have worn one myself when having a haircut and also when I have visited the supermarket, and apart from my glasses steaming up, I felt safer myself, and also that I was posing less of a potential risk to the staff who are bravely working in these busy environments.”
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Hide AdBrian Quinney, of Quinney's Pet Supplies, said he was happy to embrace any measure which ‘helps keep everyone safe while enjoying the shopping experience’.
The new rule will be enforced by police, who have the power to fine people if they don’t have a good reason for going without a face covering in shops.
£100 penalties will be in place for those who refuse. This will reduce to £50 if paid within 14 days.