People working in shops won't have to wear masks while it will be mandatory for shoppers to have their faces covered in England from July 24.
Anyone shopping without a mask, unless they are medically exempt, will face a £100 fine.
But shop staff will not have to cover their faces under the new legislation.
Environment Secretary George Eustice suggested face covering use would not be compulsory for shop staff and said the rules for shoppers would not be enforced until July 24, to give people time to prepare.
He told BBC Breakfast: “We want to give people time to plan and prepare and for retailers to maybe put in place measures to encourage people to do this or potentially even to have some masks themselves if people haven’t got one.
“Once you make something mandatory as we’re doing now for retail environments it sends a much stronger signal that people will follow in greater numbers.”
Asked if the rules will apply to supermarket staff, he said: “They’re not being covered by this but I think if you go into most shops you will see that staff for a longer time now have either been wearing face shields or face masks.
“It won’t be a compulsory requirement because it won’t always be right for every setting in a retail environment, particularly those working behind the tills and so on.”
