More than 165,000 people have signed a petition started by a Bristol man to keep the legal requirement on face coverings in shops and supermarkets.
The majority of covid restrictions will be scrapped in England on July 19, including the requirement of wearing face masks, as Boris Johnson has said people must "exercise judgement".
However, many scientists and public health specialists have disagreed with the decision of making mask wearing a personal choice.
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Eastville resident Martyn Cordey started the petition after hearing Boris Johnson’s announcement.
He said: "Until the Delta variant was allowed to proliferate in the UK, the battle was being won against Covid 19 but with the recent upsurge in cases, I believe that face coverings should continue to be worn in shops, supermarkets and other indoors spaces where there is currently a legal requirement.
"I am a former special needs teacher with multiple health conditions, so I know every time I leave the house I’m at risk of catching and spreading the virus, even though I’ve been vaccinated.
"I want to keep myself and my loved ones safe, so I think wearing a face mask inside is a small price to pay to get the virus further under control.
“I believe that the longer the virus is allowed to circulate, the greater the risk of more variants developing. With this risk, there could be an even greater risk of a variant appearing which could render the current vaccines useless.”
The 58-year-old said he was overwhelmed by the level of response the petition received, adding his first thought when he saw the government announcement was that it was madness and irresponsible.
"I could not believe this and quite a few people I know feel this way too," he said.
"A lot of people have got a lot of reservations about removing face coverings and it is going to make a lot of people more anxious about going to the shops - certainly for me.
"Whatever decision they make with nightclubs, they can go ahead but, with the basic need of going to the shop to get food, everyone should feel safe in that environment."
Mr Cordey - who is fully-vaccinated - said that, during the first lockdown, he didn't go to the shops for a couple of months and instead relied on friends and neighbours.
He said he started to go out again last Summer, but was still being very careful and would go shopping at quieter times.
"It is not a big sacrifice [wearing a face mask]," he said. "For me, personally, if they went ahead with the proposals, I would have to rethink the way I go about my shopping - getting other people to do it for me or going at much quieter times."
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