Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he will look again at whether people should wear face masks in shops.
It comes after experts said people should wear masks whenever they leave the house, and not wearing one should be seen as antisocial.
Mr Hancock was responding to a question in the House of Commons.
Labour’s Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) said: “One, would he (Mr Hancock) look at some scheme for issuing a pass or a badge to those who have an exemption from wearing a face mask on public transport so those who aren’t exempt can be required to wear them?
“And secondly, will he look again at the lack of any advice about wearing face masks in supermarkets and other shops? Because surely it is just as easy to catch the virus in a supermarket queue as it is on the bus.”
Mr Hancock replied: “Yes and Yes.”
Asked by Tory Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) about infection rates in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Mr Hancock said: “It is true that Rotherham has a higher proportion of positive cases than the country as a whole, nevertheless that rate is much lower than it was in Leicester and we’re working with the council to make sure that the necessary action is taken.
“I think everybody in the Rother Valley should take comfort in the fact that nationally the virus is under control. In rural parts of Yorkshire the rate is not that much higher than anywhere else and people should go out and enjoy summer safely.”
