Require retailers to provide masks (to reduce inadvertent viral transmission) · petition

What the petition asks

Temporarily, and to reduce demand for online shopping, government should instruct retailers to give customers and employees, on entering the store, disposable face masks and gloves to wear instore. They are more effective if everyone uses them. Shops should be asked to stock them as essentials.

Inadvertent transmission by asymptomatic individuals is one of the major issues. Community spirit is high: nobody wants to pass it on, but nobody can be sure that they are not carrying virus. Transmission rates are reduced by requiring everyone to wear masks in public spaces, as evidenced by China and South Korea. We should encourage the use of masks to protect others from COVID-19. China has the daily capacity to produce 200 million masks. Retailers should be able to source them easily.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: Supply and mandate the use of face masks and gloves

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Timeline

28 Mar 2020	Petition opened for signatures
12 May 2020	Rejected by the Petitions Committee