LONDON — The British government performed an about-face on masks Monday, telling people to cover their mouth and nose in shops, buses and subway trains.
The change came as part of what Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the ”first careful measures” to lift a nationwide lockdown imposed seven weeks ago to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
A 50-page government document outlining cautious steps to ease restrictions said “people should aim to wear a face-covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible and they come into contact with others that they do not normally meet, for example on public transport or in some shops.” That is a recommendation rather than a rule, and people won’t be penalized if they don’t