Face masks will be compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England from next week, the government said, in a U-turn on previous policy, according to AFP.

“The prime minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24,” Boris Johnson's office said.

“There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus,” it said in a statement.