The mayor of Los Angeles has warned residents to wear face masks before running errands during the coronavirus pandemic or risk being turned away from grocery stores and other essential businesses amid the shutdown.

Eric Garcetti announced new orders beginning at midnight on Friday requiring all customers at shops like pharmacies and grocery stores to cover their face with a cloth mask.

If residents fail to comply with the new guidelines, employees at essential services can refuse services.

“We need to protect every worker on the front lines of this crisis,” the mayor said on Tuesday. “Each one of us is a first responder in this emergency. Every employer should keep employees safe, and so should Angelenos patronising these businesses."

The new guidelines also require residents to wear face masks before entering ride-hailing vehicles like taxis and Ubers.

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There have been nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of the novel virus in Los Angeles since the US first reported its first official Covid-19 cases on 20 January.

At least 169 people have died in the city, according to the latest figures, though health officials have said the true figures are likely higher due to significant issues the federal government had in distributing testing kits nationwide.

In announcing the latest measures, Mr Garcetti also encouraged business owners to install additional protective measures like plexiglass to serve as barriers between essential workers and businesses.

By protecting employees from direct interactions with workers at “all points of sale”, the mayor said front line workers will be able to remain healthy amid the pandemic and help “flatten the curve” by lowering the rate of transmissions throughout the city.