Covid in Wales: Shoppers not wearing face masks 'scare' staff

Shop staff are "scared" about customers not wearing face masks due to Covid-19, a union representative has said.

Welsh ministers are still undecided if wearing masks will continue to be law in shops, while such Covid rules are due to be eased in England from next week.

"Customers will just ignore the advice that is given in Wales and just do what they want," said Tracey Davies from shop workers union Usdaw based in Neath.

"My staff are scared."

Ms Davies told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast there had been a "few" difficult moments when staff had to ask customers to wear a mask but it was "calming down in a lot of stores - not in all".

"You take away the plastic screening in front of a checkout and their masks, they have no protection whatsoever," she said.

"It should continue to be made compulsory for shoppers to wear masks to protect the retail staff."

The Welsh government has said face coverings in Wales would still be mandatory on public transport and in health and social care settings.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to confirm on Monday whether most of England's lockdown rules - including the legal requirement for masks - will end on 19 July.

And Scotland said it planned to lift remaining legal restrictions on 9 August.

The Welsh government's next 21-day review of the coronavirus regulations is due to take place on Wednesday.

Welsh ministers have already told school pupils that wearing face coverings in the classroom will no longer be recommended from September.

Wales is currently at alert level one in its response to the pandemic which means face coverings are mandatory in all indoor public places.

Paul Slater, landlord of the Trotting Mare pub on the Wrexham border with Shropshire, said he had spoken with customers and staff who have decided to continue to "wear our masks to protect ourselves".

He said having the same Covid rules either side of the border would prevent "confusion".

"People are getting a bit fed up as the rules are changing all the time between the two countries," he said.

"The confusion comes because of where the pub is. A lot of people aren't aware that we're actually in Wales."

Caerphilly GP Dr David Bailey, chair of doctor's group the BMA in Wales, said it would be a "sensible idea" if face masks continued to be mandatory.

"The risk hasn't gone away," he told the radio programme.

Wales' Covid rate has risen to 136 cases per 100,000 people in the latest rolling seven-day period, up from under 10 since the end of May due to the emergence of the Delta variant.

"I think it's sensible to be cautious and try to make sure that this doesn't peak too high because we are seeing a doubling [in cases] literally in two or three weeks," he said.

Usdaw regional secretary Nick Ireland said: "Retailers may be able to attempt to enforce their own face covering policies, but in the absence of a legal requirement, as has already been highlighted by the British Retail Consortium, this could result in further significant increases in abuse, threats and violence towards retail workers.

"Wearing a face covering in crowded public areas like shops is not merely a personal choice, it is an important measure to help protect workers who have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job."

On Sunday, Wales' Health Minister Eluned Morgan said ministers had focused on places like public transport with "enclosed places with not very obvious ventilation methods".

"We are still discussing whether we need to go further and whether we want to introduce this also at retail level," she said.