ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEW FACE-COVERING REGULATIONS

Where must face coverings or masks be worn now?

UNDER new legislation in place from yesterday, you must wear a face covering when visiting shops, shopping centres, libraries, museums, cinemas, theatres and concert halls, bingo halls, hairdressers, bookmakers, nail salons, tattoo and piercing services, travel agents, laundries and dry cleaners. The wearing of face coverings on public transport was made mandatory last month.

What happens if I don’t?

PEOPLE who do not wear a face covering, or anyone who ignores a request to wear one, can be fined up to €2,500 and/or face up to six months in jail.

How long will this last for?

THE legal changes to the 1947 Health

Act will stay in place until October 5. Are there any exceptions?

CHILDREN under the age of 13, people who can’t wear a face covering due to disability or illness and people who need to communicate with somebody who has difficulty communicating.

Staff must wear face coverings unless a partition or a two-metre distance is in place between customers and workers. Customers may remove a face covering at the request of a worker in order to show their full face for identification in the purchase of items such as alcohol.

Are any indoor settings excluded?

POST offices, credit unions and banks do not fall under the regulations. Indoor facilities that include any of these three services are also exempt from the requirement. Anywhere that sells food or drinks for the principal reason of being consumed on the premises, such as restaurants, are also excluded. So are places that mainly provide medical, dental or other healthcare services.

How should face coverings be worn and fitted?

THEY should be put on with clean hands, and not touched while they are worn. They should fit snugly against the side of your face and fully cover your nose and mouth.

Remove the face covering from the ear loops at the back, and wash hands immediately afterwards. Disposable face coverings should be thrown in a bin after use. Reusable ones should be machine-washed daily.