FACE coverings in places of worship in England will be mandatory from next week, it was announced on Friday by the Prime Minister.

Face coverings have been required in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, and enclosed transport hubs since 24 July (News, 24 July).

Mr Johnson said on Friday: “We will also extend the requirement to wear a face covering to other indoor settings where you’re likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet, such as museum, galleries, cinemas, and places of worship. We now recommend face coverings are worn in these settings, and this will become enforceable in law from 8 August.”

The Government had previously stated that from 24 July face coverings were only to be “encouraged” in places of worship (News, 17 July).

Guidance from the C of E, updated on Friday afternoon, said: “We will study detailed government regulations and guidance once they are available and will update our guidance accordingly.

“In the meantime, we continue to strongly advise that face coverings should be worn by all those attending a place of worship, including ministers, worshippers, staff, volunteers, contractors and visitors, where there may be other people present; remembering that they are mainly intended to protect other people, not the wearer, from coronavirus and that they are not a replacement for physical distancing and regular hand washing.”