Cormac McQuinn and Fiona Dillon

August 10 2020 02:30 AM

Shoppers who refuse to wear face coverings from today will face fines of up to €2,500 and a prison stint under new coronavirus rules.

Retailers are to encourage the use of masks while shopping in the first instance, but gardaí can be called as a last resort. The mandatory wearing of masks in shopping centres and other places, such as libraries and bingo halls, comes as counties Kildare, Offaly and Laois remain under strict coronavirus restrictions.

Fianna Fáil politicians in the midlands are demanding that businesses hit by the renewed lockdown receive emergency support from the State to help see them through the crisis.

Meanwhile, the Government urged people in those counties to cancel any ‘staycation’ ­holidays they had booked for the next fortnight elsewhere in Ireland.

It comes as the number of new coronavirus cases remains high, with 68 reported last night. No new deaths were reported.

Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn reiterated that face coverings will now be “mandatory in retail and other indoor settings like hairdressers, cinemas, and museums”.

The Government said that, to date, there has been “a very high level of buy-in from the public” on Covid-19 measures and there has not been a need for high levels of enforcement.

A Justice spokesperson confirmed that gardaí can intervene “as a very last port of call”.

Retail Ireland director Arnold Dillon said shops are "happy to do their bit" - but staff should not bear the brunt of any disputes that may arise.

He said: "Retailers will be happy to encourage the use of face coverings.

"We expect the vast majority of the public to be supportive of these measures."

However he said that there is a concern retail workers should not be at the coalface of any disputes that may happen because of the new regulations.

"While I think retailers are happy to play a part in encouraging it, enforcement should be a matter for the authorities," he said.

The Department of Health said gardaí had adopted an approach of engaging with the public to educate and encourage people to abide by the measures in place.

"That has proved to be very successful and they will continue that approach and only use enforcement as a last resort," said a statement.

The department confirmed the penalty for not wearing a face covering is €2,500 and/or six months in prison.

"The expectation is that the vast majority of customers will comply and that penalties would only need to be imposed in very rare cases," it added.

Three counties in the Midlands last night remained under tough new restrictions after a surge in cases linked to meat processing plants.

Businesses owners in Kildare, Offaly and Laois are furious at the latest threat to their livelihoods.

Fianna Fáil politicians in the region - including Offaly-based former minister Barry Cowen, Kildare North TD James Lawless and Senator Fiona O'Loughlin - have called for emergency government support for affected businesses.

They said: "Whilst recognising the imperative of public health and the need for unpopular actions in response to the virus, the loss to businesses and communities across those counties must be recognised and mitigated."

They urged the creation of a "tailored package from Government to help [businesses] survive this and restart again when it passes".

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar signalled at the weekend that new supports will be forthcoming. The Fine Gael leader and Enterprise Minister said he was "determined to do everything in my power to help businesses and workers affected".

Fianna Fáil Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary last night echoed this saying: "I think we will have to consider a specific package to assist businesses to assist people whose community operations have been completely inconvenienced."

He also said the Government was asking people in the three counties to cancel any holidays they had planned elsewhere in Ireland over the two weeks until the restrictions were reviewed.

Mr Calleary said it was "incredibly difficult" for people in the affected counties and he knew there was anger and frustration. He also told RTÉ Radio there were plans to roll out a Covid-19 testing programme for all meat factories.

The issue is to be discussed today at a meeting between officials from his department and the HSE. Mr Calleary said he wanted the meat-processing industry to "step up" and pay for the testing.

On the outbreaks in meat-processing plants, he said: "We have to get to the bottom of why this happened."

He said a "very successful protocol" was put in place in May when there had been more than 1,100 cases in meat factories that reduced this to "virtually zero" in June and July. He said the protocol would have to be reviewed and strengthened in light of what happened last week.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last night outlined a range of supports put in place in Kildare, Offaly and Laois including extra pop-up testing centres.

Irish Independent - https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/2500-fine-or-jail-for-not-wearing-a-mask-in-shops-39436127.html