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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Harriet Brewis, April Roach

UK coronavirus LIVE: Death toll up by 21 as Michael Gove says face masks should not be mandatory in shopsin

The Government's guidance for face masks is continuing to spark debate after Michael Gove said they should not be mandatory in shops in England.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that ministers were looking at "stricter rules" for coverings in public, but the Cabinet Office Minister said it was better to trust the public's "common sense".

Mr Gove also hinted that restrictions on public transport use are set to be eased as the Government urges people to return to work rather than stay at home.

Current coronavirus guidance for England states that people should consider “all other forms of transport” before using trains, tubes, buses and trams. But Mr Gove said people should return to work rather than stay at home to “fire up” the economic engines of the UK.

In other developments, the country's official Covid-19 death toll rose by 21 to 44,819 – the lowest Sunday increase since lockdown.

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