Andy Burnham has called on supermarket chains in Greater Manchester to “play their part” in enforcing the wearing of face masks in stores.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester made the announcement during a live-streamed press conference held yesterday afternoon and stated that he feels it is “unfair” to leave the enforcement of this rule strictly to the police force.
It comes after the wearing of face masks in supermarkets and shops in England became a compulsory requirement as of 23rd July.
Anyone who fails to comply with the rules could be fined up to £100 (reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days).
Speaking further on the situation, Mr Burnham said: “We want to see a much stricter approach to enforcing the wearing of face coverings when people arrive at the supermarket and if people refuse to do so, then they are also asked to leave.”
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He continued: “I’m not asking staff or checkout workers to be doing this. I’m asking supermarkets to have security staff to it, because most of them do employ security staff [and] let’s remember, all of the supermarkets have made a lot of money throughout this whole situation.
“I don’t think it is too much to ask.
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“If they say they can’t afford to do it everywhere, I’m saying they should be doing it in Greater Manchester with the situation we face, and other areas that are facing greater restrictions.”
Mr Burnham is believed to have written directly to four unnamed major supermarket chains calling for a “much stricter approach” to enforcing the restrictions.
He said the issue of “patchy implementation” of government guidelines – particularly with regards to the wearing of face coverings in store – could be found in supermarkets across the region.
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In response to the claims made by the Mayor of Greater Manchester yesterday, a spokesperson for the British Retail Association said that the legal responsibility to enforce mask wearing should continue to reside with the police.
They said: “It’s the job of the police and not the supermarkets – that was [made] very clear in the government guidelines”.
News
The Strokes announce first Manchester gig in two decades
Daisy Jackson
The Strokes are finally set to return to Manchester for the first time in years, announcing a huge arena show today.
The iconic indie rockers have shared details of a new European tour, which includes a night at the massive Co-op Live arena here in Manchester.
The news comes hot off the heels of their celebrated Coachella set over the weekend.
The Reality Awaits Tour, named after their upcoming seventh studio album, will take The Strokes to Manchester as well as London and Newcastle, plus several cities across Europe.
The Strokes broke into the industry back in 2001 with their seminal debut album Is This It, which spawned massive indie anthems like Last Nite, Hard To Explain, and Sometimes.
Since then, they’ve released six studio albums, all of which have climbed into the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
You can expect to hear all sorts of fan favourites, like Reptilia, Juicebox, and You Only Live Once, plus new music including their latest single The New Abnormal.
Co-op Live said: “This is set to be an unmissable show as they come to Co-op Live for the first time and we can’t wait!”
Last time The Strokes played in Manchester, it was at the O2 Apollo way back in 2006 – the same year they supported Foo Fighters at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
They played Lytham Festival more recently, but haven’t ventured back into Manchester itself since.
The Strokes will play at Co-op Live in Manchester on 26 October 2026.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 17 April HERE, with a number of pre-sales beginning from Wednesday 15 April.
Manchester Museum to close much-loved section for ‘major’ £200k redevelopment
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has announced that it’s planning to close of its best-loved exhibitions.
Thanks to a grant of £200,000 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, Manchester Museum is planning a major redevelopment of its much-loved Vivarium.
The Vivarium has sat at the heart of Manchester Museum for more than 60 years, and is a centre for globally-significant conservation projects, caring for around 30 different amphibian and reptile species – many of which are critically endangered – in a bid to inspire generations of visitors.
Thanks to a pioneering partnership with Panama Wildlife Conservation Charity, which is just one of many projects designed to safeguard the future of endangered species and develop learning programmes that raise awareness of threats to biodiversity, Manchester Museum houses the world’s only captive ‘back-up’ population – which is why the redevelopment of the Vivarium is so important.
The funding grant will help to ‘revitalise’ public displays, and create new state-of-the art facilities and bespoke naturalistic environments for the amphibian and reptile species cared for by the Vivarium.
It will also allow the development of dedicated facilities for schools, teaching, and visiting tour groups, which the Museum hopes will ‘further enhance’ the gallery’s potential for learning.
During the redevelopment – which has been named the ‘Habitats of Hope’ project – new permanent displays will also be created that explore the connections between its wider collections and the animals it cares for.
Manchester Museum is set to close one of its much-loved sections for ‘major’ £200k redevelopment / Credit: Supplied
“Habitats of Hope speaks to how wonderful and how vulnerable the world’s rarest amphibians are” commented Georgina Young, who is the Head of Collections and Exhibitions at Manchester Museum.
“Major investment means Manchester Museum can match the highest standards of animal care with a more accessible visitor experience, while weaving stories of research, conservation, partnership and action that stretch from thriving ponds in Manchester to hyper-biodiverse ecosystems in Costa Rica and Panama.”
The Manc -
14th August 2020 
