Masks will continue to be compulsory on trams in Greater Manchester after Monday, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed this afternoon.
Speaking in a joint press conference with four other Labour mayors this afternoon, Burnham said it will be mandatory for people on Metrolink trams to wear masks, despite the Government saying that ‘Freedom Day’ on July 19th would make mask-wearing a matter of personal choice.
Burnham said: “We are still in a pandemic and we need to think in terms of collective safety rather than individual freedom or personal responsibility.”
The announcement marks a change of mind for Burnham.
Earlier this month, the mayor said that mask-wearing would be “encouraged” but not enforced, saying it would be confusing to passengers if the message in the region was different from the Government’s.
But in the light of increasing case rates and the decision by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to make mask-wearing on London transport, Burnham has decided to harden his stance.
