NO MASK? YOU NOW FACE JAIL OR A BIG FINE
FACE coverings became mandatory in all shops and many indoor spaces yesterday, as Ireland tries to stop a second coronavirus wave.
The new rule will cover cinemas, hairdressers, libraries and shopping centres.
And those who repeatedly disobey wearing masks could face a fine of up to €2,500 or face six months imprisonment.
The rule applies to shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, nail bars, museums and cinemas
‘An act of solidarity’
but does not apply to restaurants, bars, cafés, or post offices, credit unions and banks. Healthcare services such as opticians or dentists are also exempt.
Rachel Kenna, chief nursing officer at the Department of Health, said yesterday people are being asked to wear face coverings ‘in a variety of indoor commercial settings’. She also had some helpful advice on how to put on and remove masks.
‘Remember to clean your hands before you put on your face covering [on], and hold it by the ear loops. Ensure it sits snugly over your nose and mouth,’ she said.
‘Disposable face coverings should not be worn more than once, and reusable cloth masks should be washed after use at 60 degrees. When you remove it, place it in a Ziploc bag and then when you get home, put it in a 60-degree wash. Try to avoid touching the front of your face covering when wearing it.
‘Every small, daily action we take, such as wearing a face covering in the shop, is an act of solidarity with healthcare workers who have been at the frontline of this public health crisis since its outset,’ she said.
The Government announced the mandatory face-covering measure three weeks ago and it came into force yesterday.
Children under 13 are exempt from the rule, as are people who cannot wear face coverings due to a physical or mental illness.
Shop staff must wear face coverings at work, unless they are separated from customers by a partition, or can keep at two metre distance.
One Irish Daily Mail reporter was confronted for forgetting to wear a facemask in a shop in Rialto, Dublin, at 8.30am yesterday. The shop owner said that the gardaí were already making spot checks in the area and said that customers who don’t wear masks could be fined €2,500.