The leader of Lancaster City Council is asking people to respect recent changes to Covid regulations that make wearing a face covering mandatory while in shops, on public transport and in certain other settings.
The new regulations came into force on Tuesday (November 30), following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus.
A case of the variant has already been detected in Lancaster, and the UK Health Security Agency is working with Lancashire County Council’s public health team and Lancaster City Council to identify contacts of the individual, who is self-isolating.
All contacts of the individual will be followed up and requested to isolate and get tested as necessary, regardless of their vaccine status.
Councillor Caroline Jackson has welcomed the updated guidance and asked people to respect the regulations: “The detection of the new variant is a cause for real concern and it’s more important than ever that we all take precautions to protect ourselves and others.
“Wearing a face mask is a simple act that can save lives. I know that some retailers have been struggling to convince people to wear a face covering while in their premises, so these updated regulations are welcome news. I hope people will follow them and support businesses during what is already an already busy and stressful period.
“It’s only by working together and taking precautions that we will be able to stop the spread of the virus.”
To support retailers and businesses, the city council has produced updated posters for them to display in their windows with a reminder of the regulations. Boxes of face masks are also available for them to hand out to any customers who do not have their own. For further help and advice they should contact the council’s Public Protection team at environmentalhealth@lancaster.gov.uk.
• Full details of the new regulations and the venues to which they apply can be found at www.gov.uk
• More information and advice is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus