When it comes to enforcing the wearing of face coverings, the position is a particularly difficult topic. This is not because the law is unclear – far from it. The law clearly states that you and I, as customers, must wear a face covering when inside a shop. It is also abundantly clear that this is enforced by the police and local authorities. Despite what you hear, there is also not a word about retailer enforcement in sight. Therefore, it is laudable that the retailers have stepped up and taken on more responsibility than they are legally required to. However, doing the right thing is not easy and there is a long list of reasonable excuses for not wearing a face covering, which means the situation is far from binary. That list starts with reasons of physical and mental illness or impairment or disability, and then moves on to an even broader exemption, where wearing a face covering would cause severe distress. In most cases these issues would not be visually obvious.