Do you think masks will stay?

[Ohdoleavemealone]

They keep saying "all restrictions" will lift on June 21st.

Do people think Masks will go?

I am setting up a business that needs them now, but not sure if this will be an ongoing cost.

I hope they go. I hate teaching in a mask all day. I feel like I’m constantly shouting so that the kids can hear me and I’m struggling to hear them. It’s not helped by the fact that I need to keep the windows open, but I’m next to PE which is very loud. I keep coming home with a sore throat and croaky voice. It’s definitely impacting on my teaching.

I would not be surprised if masks become permanent when seeking/giving health care.

@Schrutesbeets I thought you had to be severely distressed to be exempt eg have panic attacks or struggle to breathe. I can just about tolerate wearing one for up to an hour as long as I don't have to move around much or look after my 6 year old who has autism and tends to wander off. I know it sounds weird but unless I wear a mask really tight it gets in the way of my vision so I feel dizzy and can't see things if I need to look down (eg if I drop something or need to put something in my bag I'm stuck). I can't wear a mask that tight for more than a few minutes as it upsets my asthma so I tend to wear a looser one if I'm sitting down and the tight one for walking around. When I had my covid vaccine and when I had to take ds to a private hospital I had to wear a medical disposable mask and that was worse. So I wear one for hospital appointments but the rest of the time I avoid places where I have to wear one.

[quote elliejjtiny]@Schrutesbeets I thought you had to be severely distressed to be exempt eg have panic attacks or struggle to breathe. I can just about tolerate wearing one for up to an hour as long as I don't have to move around much or look after my 6 year old who has autism and tends to wander off. I know it sounds weird but unless I wear a mask really tight it gets in the way of my vision so I feel dizzy and can't see things if I need to look down (eg if I drop something or need to put something in my bag I'm stuck). I can't wear a mask that tight for more than a few minutes as it upsets my asthma so I tend to wear a looser one if I'm sitting down and the tight one for walking around. When I had my covid vaccine and when I had to take ds to a private hospital I had to wear a medical disposable mask and that was worse. So I wear one for hospital appointments but the rest of the time I avoid places where I have to wear one.[/quote]
I suppose its subjective isn't it. It sounds like it's interfering with normal life if you've not even been anywhere fun for over a year, especially when you've got children. That to me would indicate a level of psychological stress/distress which might not necessarily cause physiological harm (ie panic attacks), buts its enough to prevent you really leaving the house.
I would go out more and if you want to try and wear one when you can then great, or if you can't tolerate it (or would consider leaving to go home) then remove it. We all have to play our part but it's for you to recognise if you're exempt or not.

Praying that they go ASAP

@Sparklingbrook

You can buy a pack of 4 'I am mask exempt' badges in Home Bargains for 99p.

I don't like them.

But I can see them staying here long term. When they say restrictions are being lifted, I think they mean visiting people, socialising etc. Even if the Government say its no longer mandatory, every company can set its own entrance requirements. I think a lot of big companies will still enforce mask wearing after the Government stops it.

@Volcanoexplorer

I hope they go. I hate teaching in a mask all day. I feel like I’m constantly shouting so that the kids can hear me and I’m struggling to hear them. It’s not helped by the fact that I need to keep the windows open, but I’m next to PE which is very loud. I keep coming home with a sore throat and croaky voice. It’s definitely impacting on my teaching.

^^ this. I work in a school and feel the same.

I really hope so. I'm due a baby in November and not a hope in hell will I labour in a mask or a shield. Even though I'm exempt they kept pushing one on my face in a n e a few weeks back and I had to get quite cross with them to get them to stop. They could see I was puking and dry heaving and yet kept insisting on a mask , eventually I wore a face shield just to get them to leave me alone.

@romdowa

I really hope so. I'm due a baby in November and not a hope in hell will I labour in a mask or a shield. Even though I'm exempt they kept pushing one on my face in a n e a few weeks back and I had to get quite cross with them to get them to stop. They could see I was puking and dry heaving and yet kept insisting on a mask , eventually I wore a face shield just to get them to leave me alone.

Just say I hope they wont stay!

I’m hearing impaired and so can’t bloody understand anyone at the moment, I hope they go. I’m knackered from the strain of trying to hear people. My hearing aids don’t help at all.

@romdowa if it helps I had a baby on Tuesday (c section) and masks were only required when staff were in the room and only the birth partner had to wear one, I wasn't expected to

I don’t mind wearing a mask, means I can mutter to myself wandering round the supermarkets without getting funny looks! The thing that bothers me about them is the waste and litter they cause. We already have enough problems on that front without masks adding to them.

I think it would be sensible to keep them in close, face to face contact situations (medical, nail bars etc) but perhaps we'll move away from them in shops where the contact is brief and usually a bit further away. I've got pretty used to them now and don't mind the physical feel of them but I don't like not being able to reliably recognise people or see their facial expressions, or hear them properly.

I think they will still be required in medical settings (What if your illness is covid? What if the person next to you is very vulnerable?)

And I think they should be kept on all forms of public transport where you cannot have the windows open.

And I expect there will be some seasonality (eg all public transport in winter virus season)

And of course individual businesses who wish to require masks should still be able to do so.

I hope they get rid of them as soon as possible:
I hate wearing them around my kids, my daughter is 1 she needs to see people's faces.

I don't think they make any difference.

There hasn't been a death in my council region since 8th March so what's the point.

If infections stay low, I think they will cease to be compulsory.

But it no longer seems alien wearing one or seeing people wearing them. So, I think they will stay to a certain degree. Quite what the long term demand will be, I'd not like to predict.

I hope not!

I bloody hate them. I find them itchy and uncomfortable, and they hurt my ears. Can’t wait for them to be gone.

If some businesses opt to keep them after they are legally required, I’ll be going elsewhere. I guess some people will have the opposite view and prefer to only go where people will wear them. I wonder which group will be bigger? Certainly everyone I know only wears one because they have to and can’t wait to get rid.

@Coniferhedge

I don’t mind wearing a mask, means I can mutter to myself wandering round the supermarkets without getting funny looks! The thing that bothers me about them is the waste and litter they cause. We already have enough problems on that front without masks adding to them.

YES, this!! 18 months ago everyone was panicking about the future of the planet and saving the oceans from plastic. Suddenly literally millions of plastic facemasks (and gloves, aprons, visors etc) are being thrown away every day and no one cares. I always use washable cotton ones (much more comfortable) but am surprised by how many people are wearing disposables when out and about. I had to take my class (y6 so half over 11, half under 11) on a coach the other day and around half had forgotten their masks. They were all given a disposable to wear on a 10 minute journey with a group of kids they were about to sit in a classroom with for the rest of the day.

Definitely need to go in schools hopefully by 17 May.

I'd like to see them go on 21 June everywhere else except for public transport. I will definitely stop wearing them as soon as they're not mandatory. I've stopped wearing them outside already eg I was wearing them in a busy high street but rates are so low I'm not now .