Tesco has now banned customers who refuse to wear a face covering without a medical exemption.
The supermarket has followed in the footsteps of Morrisons and Sainsbury’s who both announced their new rules on Monday.
A Tesco spokesperson said on Tuesday: “Since the start of the pandemic, we have focused on ensuring everyone can get the food they need in a safe environment.
“To protect our customers and colleagues, we won’t let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with Government guidance.
"We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they’re a carer or with children. To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this."
The statement added: "Our colleagues are working hard in difficult circumstances to make sure everyone can get what they need, and we’d ask everyone to please be kind, patient and respectful as we all work to keep each other safe.”
It comes after vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi voiced his concerns that members of the public were not complying with measures put in place by supermarkets, amid suggestions the restrictions may need to be toughened.
“I am worried about supermarkets and people actually wearing masks and following the one-way system and making sure when it’s at capacity they wait outside the supermarket,” he said.
Meanwhile, policing minister Kit Malthouse has on Tuesday said that all supermarkets should follow in Morrisons’ footsteps to enforce the wearing of face masks in stores as part of the coronavirus regulations.
When asked why he thought supermarkets have not done it so far, he told Times Radio: “I think that, understandably, following the November lockdown there was an element of release and therefore the person at the door, the sanitation station, the traffic light system, the queues outside obviously receded a bit.
“What we hope now, and I know all of them will, that they’ll see their responsibility and start to put those things back in place.”
