Wearing covid masks to be made law from Tuesday

Monday 30 November 2020

It will be illegal not to wear a mask in an indoor public space from 10:00 on Tuesday.

The current guidelines - which only recommend wearing a mask in supermarkets, shops, post offices, banks, in taxis, on public transport, in health care settings and when using close-contact services such as hairdressers and beauticians – will actually become law, with people not wearing one without a valid reason facing up to a £1,000 fine.

On Monday, Health Minister Richard Renouf signed an order under an emergency law which the States Assembly passed last week. He is expected to sign a second order, making certain gatherings illegal, in the next few days.

Masks remain strongly recommended where people are likely to be in close contact with others outside their household, particularly when this is likely to be for longer than 15 minutes. They are also recommending that masks are worn in cars carrying people from different households. 

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf, said: “We are doing all we can to protect Islanders and our health care system, while also keeping the island functioning as far as possible. 

Pictured: Health Minister Richard Renouf signing the order making mask-wearing compulsory.

“Our strong recommendation that Islanders should wear masks in retail settings had mixed success. Monitoring showed that there was 30-80% take-up across different settings. Now that we are seeing more cases in the winter months, we have felt it necessary to make this recommendation into a legal requirement.

“Government officials have received excellent support from the retail sector, including from the main supermarket chains. The sector has now given their support to go further with making masks mandatory in these settings.”

An exemption certificate will be available for people whose health conditions mean they cannot safely wear masks. Application forms will be available online and from a number of agreed public locations, like parish halls, larger supermarkets and the bus station. Mask exemption cards will be issued to those who have filled out an application form.