Petition · past parliament
Make Wearing of Face Coverings in Shops Voluntary, NOT Mandatory.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
I would like the Government to reverse its decision to make the wearing of face masks in shops mandatory in England, from 24th July 2020.
The wearing of face coverings should remain a personal choice, and I believe it is disproportionate to mandate that they be worn in retail outlets or risk being forced to pay a penalty charge. I am concerned this will significantly deter shoppers from visiting their local high street, which could effectively mean the end of the retail sector.
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 some of these petitions:
Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England: Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops.
Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory: Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory
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 find 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: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England: Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops.
Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory: Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory
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 find 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: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
Timeline
| 14 Jul 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Jul 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
21 Jul 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.