A Merseyside business owner has said she will keep restrictions in place with customers continuing to wear face coverings inside her café after Monday.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced that most of the legal coronavirus restrictions brought in during the pandemic will end as of July 19.
The use of domestic vaccine passports and face masks will be encouraged as ministers set out a cautious approach to England's "freedom day" on July 19 in response to soaring coronavirus cases.
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The government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport; being outside or letting fresh air in minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
But the legal requirements to wear a face-covering will be lifted in all settings, as well as regulations that place COVID-secure requirements on businesses, including table service, and distancing between tables.
Nicola Duty, from St Helens, previously worked as a teacher before opening The Gingerbread Tea House on Albert Road in Widnes three-and-a-half years ago.
During lockdown, the business offered afternoon tea to deliver locally to customers, but also had to take on a whole new team when restrictions eased as staff members sought out other jobs in lockdown as hospitality was forced to close.
Nicola told the ECHO: "It’s been incredibly difficult. Customer confidence affected us very early on.
"Back in January and February 2020 we found that although there wasn’t an official lockdown and there wasn’t any support at that time for businesses, customers were afraid to go out and to mix.
"Things are building back up but it’s so uncertain because we don't know for sure whether there will be another lockdown. We don’t know what will happen in terms of case numbers if they start to go up and if customer confidence goes down.
"When you do have people come in who are refusing to wear masks or reluctant to give details for track and trace that does upset and unnerve other customers and that’s really why I am so keen to keep the masks."
Posting to Facebook, The Gingerbread Tea House said: "When you visit our café, please wear a face covering while walking around, unless you have a genuine medical exemption.
"I want our little café to be a safe environment for all of my customers and staff, including those who are immune suppressed.
"Wearing a face covering is such a small gesture, but one that could help to protect those around us.
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"From a personal perspective, due to covid restrictions, my little business has been closed for so much time over the last couple of years. If I contract covid, I am likely to be ok, but I will have to close my business for almost two weeks.
"If you are unwilling to wear a face covering, we are happy to serve you in our outside space at the front of the café.
"We're still all in this together. Let's work together to keep everyone safe x"
Nicola said she understands that people can have genuine exemptions and that she wouldn't want them to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome as they are welcome, but that for her wearing a mask if not exempt is "a small gesture."
The café will also continue to have a reduced capacity, offer table service only and provide hand sanitiser on tables.
Nicola said: "I want to keep my customers safe. Sometimes customers are vulnerable and I don't want to put them in a position where they're putting themselves at risk.
"But I also want them to know that I care about their safety and I care about them being well.
"I want them to feel as though the place is somewhere they can go and be safe so if that’s means people refusing to wear masks feel as though they're being asked to wear a mask when they don't want to well unfortunately I've got to look after my customers.
"It's such a small thing, a small gesture to make I think."
Nicola said she will leave restrictions in place and change will only be made after consulting customers and staff, but that the majority of the responses in regards to the decision have been positive.
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She said: "The majority of the people I've spoken to, particularly my customers, are very keen to wear face coverings for the time being at least.
"Obviously most people don't want to do it forever, I don't think anybody would want to do it forever. But while case numbers are continuing to go up and hospitalisation and deaths are continuing to go up, I think it's sensible to take some minimal precautions."
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