Will Government announce mandatory face coverings in shops by Monday?

[Derbygerbil]

It seems they are now convinced that face coverings are a good idea in enclosed spaces, and are happy to make mandate it.... They are desperate to keep infections down so they can continue to open up the economy, so my money is on them extending it over the weekend to more
places, still from 15 June to give people time to comply.... especially given the very recent WHO advice.

[ssd]

Hopefully. If it helps a bit that's enough for me.

[Drivingdownthe101]

Probably. I wasn’t planning to go in any shops for a while anyway (the whole experience is bloody miserable at the moment) so mandatory face coverings will keep me out a while longer!

[CaptainBrickbeard]

It looks like masks will definitely come in here. I don’t think the government will have much choice given how high the infection rate still is - they will have to try anything to mitigate it. Masks are mandatory now in so many countries who cope with them just fine; the bizarre objections some people on here seem to have are just baffling. I think we can all see that British exceptionalism didn’t count for anything so far in this pandemic so we will have to wear masks like everyone else. I think we will get used to it pretty quickly.

[ofwarren]

Hopefully

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

I can understand them in a supermarket but hopefully not all shops. The only shop I go to is the corner shop. When I went today I was the only person in there other than 2 staff members who weren't wearing masks.

[Drivingdownthe101]

The staff don’t wear them in my local supermarket at the moment, are they supposed to be?

[Penyu]

Where I am we have all being wearing them since March (Asia). I now have a range available for myself and dd, they are easy to find here now and lots of courage industries making them.
My country has had fewer than 150 deaths... There are many reasons for that but masks are thought to be a significant factor.
It is not law here, but no-one steps out without one now, even little kids. When we return to school all will be wearing them. It's policed by social norm, much like someone lighting up a smoke inside a shop would be now. I have never actually seen anyone refuse or actually, seen anyone not wearing one outside!
It is ok not to wear one if you are jogging etc but you are expected to be socially isolated if so. A few times I've stepped out without mine as I forgot and you can't go into any shop without one. This is the shops rule, and again I think consumers would avoid any shop who was blasé about this rule so it is for the good of the shop to enforce itself.

Watch now that the WHO has said they should be worn. It'll be all over UK TV and radio soon to wear them and won't be long before the UK falls into line with the rest of the world.
I agree with others that the reasons for not wearing are generally embarrassing. I expect to be wearing mine for the next year at least. 🤷

[Derbygerbil]

The staff don’t wear them in my local supermarket at the moment, are they supposed to be?

Not at the moment... Clearly staff would have to if shoppers are.

[Drivingdownthe101]

Ok, was just asking . Didn’t know if they were supposed to be wearing them or not.

[tombliboo1]

I work in a shop and I really don't want to wear a face mask all day. I'm dreading the announcement. I suffer with terrible anxiety and panic attacks and I really don't like the thought of something covering my face all day.

[icelollycraving]

I’m going back to my retail job soon. My company are insisting on all staff wearing masks at all times. I’d feel better if customers needed to wear them too.

[ssd]

Yes, people should only be allowed on public transport and in shops if they are wearing a face mask.

[Derbygerbil]

The more I think about it, the more likely I think it is.

The Government are terrified we’ll be left dangling in some kind of purgatory, unable to properly move forward and release the economy as the public increasingly relax and infections remain stubbornly high.... all while Europe increasingly get back to normal as they able to squash clusters when they arise. Boris knows that if he’s
fucks this up - and he must be worried that’s where it’s heading - he’ll have failed... and if that happens, he’ll have unquestionably failed utterly

The more they can do to create conditions that will reduce infection risk and simultaneously open the economy more, the better for the Government.... and given that “successful” countries have use face-coverings, and the WHO are now recommending it, why wouldn’t they....

Also, they need to keep people alert, to stop
them forgetting and becoming complacent.... and what better way than make them remember every time they go to the shops.

[Thisdressneedspockets]

Yeah. I won't be bothering with going into shops if masks are mandatory.

[Derbygerbil]

Yeah. I won't be bothering with going into shops if masks are mandatory.

And that’s probably another good reason to make them mandatory.... It stops the people who don’t give a crap about social distancing or controlling Covid from being a health risk to the rest of the public.... a win-win!

[Drivingdownthe101]

It stops the people who don’t give a crap about social distancing or controlling Covid from being a health risk to the rest of the public.... a win-win!

How so? I have social distanced religiously from the start. Followed all the rules. If they’re made mandatory in shops, I won’t go in shops because I am severely claustrophobic and it will cause me to have a panic attack. My inability to wear a mask has no bearing on how well I’ve followed the government guidance up until now.

[HeIenaDove]

So if we are copying other countries when it comes to masks and people are saying we should be doing the same as other countries and cant understand why we havent been so far................then why arent we disinfecting the streets............you know, like other countries?!

[Campervan69]

God I hope not.

Been watching this today. Is very interesting.

[HeIenaDove]

Then we should all fall in line with the rest of the world by disinfecting the streets @Penyu

[TildaKauskumholm]

Masks should have been made mandatory many weeks ago IMO. I know it must be horrible to wear one all day, but for many of us it just means wearing for a hour or less while going in a shop, on public transport etc. There is a lot of clear evidence in favour of masks now, so everyone needs to stop whining and wear one, as they do in many other countries which have had a far better outcome.

[stressbucket1]

Do countries that routinely use face masks also observe social distancing or is it one or the other? Could we get rid of the queuing outside shops if everyone wears face coverings?

[covetingthepreciousthings]

I think it will become mandatory now in shops and was surprised it wasn't announced alongside the public transport news.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

I am a little deaf. I find hearing people in shops really difficult at the best of times.

I asked a masked customer services assistant about something the other day and couldn’t make head nor tail of what she was saying it was so muffled

I don’t wear a mask out but I do wear masks for work when I am doing a particular job but it is so uncomfortable I hate it but it is worn for a minute at most
The idea of having to have a mask on for an hour is really awful.

I have adhered to social distancing but I wouldn’t be able to go out if you had to wear a mask.

[Sonotech]

Unless your wearing a high quality filter medical mask it’s pointless. Virus droplets can pass freely each way through surgical, and home made masks.

You will have people constantly touching and rearranging them so for the 85% of asymptotic carriers they will be spreading it every where with their hands after touching their masks.

There is a video going round which shows a man blowing out a candle through a normal surgical mask.

People are deluded if they think this will make any difference. This is just lip service of the government.

[twinnywinny14]

I said to DH tonight I wonder how long it is until we have to wear them in shops. I bought some weeks ago just in case. The government are trying to bring different measures in as the rate is not going down fast or far enough