Facemask vending machines pop up at London's travel hotspots

LONDON - Facemask vending machines have popped up at travel hotspots across London as the British capital emerges from the COVID-19 lockdown, local media reported.

Since the British government made it a legal requirement to wear face coverings on public transport, commuters have spotted COVID-19 mask dispensers near Tubes and shopping centers in London.

Starting on June 15, people in England travelling on trains, buses and commuter ferries, as well as London underground, must wear face coverings during their journeys.

New company Maskey, which began trading in April 2020, first launched the device in Chigwell, Essex. It has since rolled out the vending machines to 10 more locations including Hamleys in Regent Street, Woodford Station in east London and Walthamstow shopping center, said the London-based Evening Standard newspaper.

The government changed its advice on face masks to help contain the spread of novel coronavirus earlier this month, as more people used public transport to go back to work.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said remembering to travel with a face covering should become part of people's daily routine.

On Monday the Maskey will open a pop-up shop in Carnaby Street, as the government encourages shoppers to get out and spend to kickstart the economy, according to the newspaper.

More vending machines are planned at London Bridge station and Hamleys in Lakside shopping center.

Ten percent of profits from sales of the mask will be donated to Lenderhand, an Essex-based charity which is supporting the National Health Service (NHS) and individuals and families in need during the pandemic, said the newspaper.

A new study co-led by University College London, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Haifa, suggests that making face coverings mandatory in public places, combined with effective testing and tracing, could dramatically cut the number of future deaths from COVID-19.