People could be fined €2,500 for not wearing a mask in shops and shopping centres from today.
The new rules also apply to indoor retail settings including hairdressers, libraries and cinemas.
Children under 13 and people with a disability or physical or mental illness are exempt.
Paul Blanche from the Showgrounds Shopping Centre in Clonmel says the majority of people visiting the outlet on the Davis Road have already been wearing face coverings in recent weeks.
“Around two weeks ago compliance was around 70% coming into the shopping centre.”
“The week before last it was 75% and last week then it was up to 85% so generally it is a very positive compliance considering we have 30,000 people coming into the centre every week – 25,000 of them would be wearing face masks.”
“This week we’ve stepped it up a gear – we’ve signage at all our entrances and we have regular tannery announcements every 10 minutes and we also have security on patrol in the centre just making sure people are aware of the new regulations.”
He says from today they will be asking those who don’t wear a mask to comply with the new regulations.
“We’ll be asking them discreetly and nicely and if they don’t wear one well then we just have to take note of it and inform the Gardaí.”
“A lot of people actually are forgetting to wear them – they have them in their pocket or in their handbag. So we’re reminding them about the regulations and most people are putting them on.”
“Some businesses in the Showgrounds are not leaving anybody in without the face mask while some businesses are providing face masks on the way in.”
