Will I still have to wear a face covering on public transport after July 19?
Face coverings have been mandatory on public transport for the past year (Picture: Getty Images)  England is heading towards Freedom Day on July 19  when most of the remaining Covid restrictions are set to be lifted. Although Boris Johnson is set to confirm the news in an announcement on July 12, there remains some confusion over whether such measures as face masks and social distancing may still remain in some form  even more so given that Covid cases are surging across the country in the wake of the Delta variant. It was confirmed by Sajid Javid on July 12 that the legal requirement to wear a mask on public transport, as well as in other enclosed spaces such as shops, will end on July 19 when other restrictions are lifted. This would technically mean that it will no longer be mandatory to wear a mask on trains, buses, Tubes or other forms of public transport after this date  but that doesnt necessarily mean the end for face coverings. With Covid cases on the rise once again in England, Mr Javid stressed that face masks would still be recommended in crowded indoor spaces such as on public transport. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video  He said that the country had made huge advances and was ready for the major milestone towards the life we all used to live. Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawai previously told The Andrew Marr Show: The fortification of the vaccine programme has allowed us to cautiously move to step four of the lockdown easing. The guidelines will be very clear on things like mask-wearing, he added. Theres an expectation of people to wear masks indoors, in crowded places, on public transport.  Englands chief medical officer Chris Whitty has also outlined three situations in which you may choose to wear a mask. These are if you are in any situation which is indoors and sees you in crowds or close proximity to others, if required to by any competent authority, and as a courtesy if someone else is not comfortable with you not wearing a mask. While wearing a mask may no longer be a legal requirement, this also does not stop local authorities and other organisations from setting their own rules regarding face coverings. This mean that transport companies may also require passengers to wear masks even after July 19, rather than leaving it to personal choice. Transport companies may set their own rules around mask-wearing (Picture: Getty Images)  Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that he was very relaxed about transport companies having their own rules around mask-wearing. We are shifting to this next phase where people use common sense and personal responsibility to decide these things and I think that is actually a sensible way forwards, he told MPs in the Commons. If organisations require it to be a condition of carriage then I am very relaxed about that and it is up to them to do.  Some airlines, including Ryanair and EasyJet, have already said that passengers will still be required to wear masks on their flights. It should also be noted that these rules will only apply to England  in Scotland its been reported that face coverings are likely to still be a requirement even after lockdown rules are lifted on August 9. They will also remain mandatory on trains and buses and in taxis in Wales for the time being, while officials in northern Ireland are scheduled to review the rules around face coverings in mid-August. MORE : Lockdown extension looms in Sydney as Australia sees first Covid death of 2021  Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Share your views in the comments below.