Masks - GET A GRIP.

[Changednamesorry]

Ok.

So. Lots of whinging about masks at the moment as BoJo finally hauls his arse into gear and says that you have to wear them in the shops and on public transport.

In Catalunya where I live masks are obligatory. Every time you are in public. Including in the street. Inside and out. The exceptions are

Medical conditions (you need a paper justifying this)
When playing sport
Children under the age of 6
If eating or drinking

If you don't comply - 100 euro fine. No arguments.

Most people here were already wearing masks anyway (because we saw the horror at the beginning of the pandemic here and we know what a real lockdown is like - not allowed out at all, children locked inside for nearly 3 months, etc)

People arent whining and complaining nor imagining how they can invent aome excuse to mean that the rules don't apply to them and the overwhelming majority of people are wearing them all the time.

Tourists not so much but they getting fined. Good.

So England. PLEASE. Stop with the selfishness. Literally dozens of countries have mandatory mask wearing and citizens comply because they care about each other and don't spend their time acting entitled and "I'm all right Jack"

There are articles in the European press about this. Literally "English people are selfish - is it any wonder they are so resistant to wear masks". It's embarrassing. As a nation, as a society, it's time to grow up and just put the mask on like everyone else.

English people. You aren't special. You are starting to look like the kid who gets thw whole class detention because they just keep on breaking the rules.

Wear the mask. Please. It's for the safety of everyone.

And if you ABSOLUTELY MUST come to Spain on holiday, even more so.

I'm not meaning about it but I'll be cutting down going to shops as I don't want to wear one. That is still my choice and right to decide what I will or won't do. It won't and isn't mandatory to wear it outside walking etc

Covid deaths recorded arent accurate for starters we know a percentage are not because they died of covid but with covid yet still counted. So unless there is accurate data and the daily number actually reflects the number in past 24hrs im not going to buy into this mass hysteria.

I was never a big fan of shopping beforehand as shops rarely have stock so I'll just continue online shopping.

I find it really rude that I'm then classsd as being stupid for deciding I don't want to wear a mask. I don't care what other countries have done, I'm not interested in tearing other people down for their choices or decisions either.

Find posts like this quite pointless really.

It is interesting though that people are already moaning that Brits aren't wearing them when they don't currently have to..

A lot of moaning people on here moaning about people who don't wear masks when they don't actually have to - even calling them entitled or thick or various other things. For the very stupid - THERE IS NO CURRENT REQUIREMENT TO WEAR A MASK - when it comes in and if people don't wear have a moan then.

It is a bit odd that the OP goes on about her area of spain when they have an outbreak telling English people they aren't special yet ignoring the fact that their outbreak is allowing thirty thousand fruit pickers into the area - not that's is a special kind of dumb @Changednamesorry - yet you call english dumb

@Notshiny in Scotland/England yes although that is still reducing their independence - they may not usually need to be accompanied or even have someone who can accompany them.

I'd like to see the face/shields visors the default for public facing staff but Changednamesorry said they weren't allowed in Spain.

@cyclingmad

I agree lots of judgemental moaners out there. No point wearing a mask walking along a beach or out for a walk

Some just like a good old whinge

@betteliefsen

You don't live in England so how is this any of your business?

Absolutely!

@TheChiefJo I wasn't making a point, I was answering the pp's question.

I am not against mandatory mask-wearing in indoor public spaces, I think it makes sense, even though I find it very uncomfortable and claustrophobic, but that makes sense. But I find a lot of the things they've done in Spain, and they are still doing, a bit ridiculous and horrifying (kids not being allowed to go out at all for 3 months! For example). You can easily see scenes in Spain of people walking on the street, alone, wearing a mask (because it is mandatory) and lots of bar terraces full of groups of people not wearing one (because it is not mandatory). I find these scenes ridiculous. Last thing I heard today is that face masks are going to become mandatory in Andalucia. I am sorry but they'd better make another lockdown because that's the most ridiculous thing ever.

There are so many threads about masks on MN they will need their own section soon to placate all the MNers who can't scroll past* a thread they are not interested in.

*see Brexit, coronavirus threads.

@GreytExpectations

For those saying Mind your business, well it IS our business when your refusal to wear a mask puts our health at risk.

My disability is none of your beeswax.

I'll tell you waht @Changednamesorry. What really really annoys me are the people who are saying they don't want to wear a mask 'because its unconfortable/it steams my glasses' etc...

You wear a mask to PROTECT OTHERS FROM A REALLY NASTY DISEASE.
You wear a mask by rspect fr other people because you have no idea of the person in front of you isn't one those vulnerable person that is more likely to die from the disease.
You wear one because you actualy have no fucking idea if you are a carrier or not (and are asymptomatic).

All of those people saying they just don't want to, would they accept the same reasonning when it comes to vaccinations? Would they accept that family members are being put at risk because of the actions of others? I don't think so.
So why, why not just getting on with it???

Until recently the police were just giving out warnings apparently.

The new resolution in the Balearic Islands only came into effect a few days ago;

9th July -
"Spain’s Balearic Islands to make face masks mandatory in all public spaces except the beach."

"The regional government of Spain’s Balearic Islands has approved a resolution that will make face masks mandatory in all public spaces in the archipelago even when social distancing rules can be respected.The measure will come into effect this weekend, according to sources from the regional government."

english.elpais.com/society/2020-07-09/spains-balearic-islands-to-make-face-masks-mandatory-in-all-public-spaces-except-the-beach.html

My cousin is a GP and she has been getting a trickle now rush of requests for letters from patients to exempt them from wearing masks in public

Hope she tells them to bog off. She'll know from their notes whether they actually do have a relevant condition.

Op says

There are articles in the European press about this. Literally "English people are selfish - is it any wonder they are so resistant to wear masks". It's embarrassing. As a nation, as a society, it's time to grow up and just put the mask on like everyone else.

Well i have yet to see the British media say anything like that about Spain, we hardly ever bash other countries? We didn't bash Spain when it was spiralling out of control saying how stupid you all were for not staying indoors and still going to beaches.

Your not even living in this country so butt out quite frankly. It wouldn't even cross my mind to start a bashing thread about another country I don't live in. Even if I was an ex pat.

How sad do you have to be

@Needamanicure

It is interesting though that people are already moaning that Brits aren't wearing them when they don't currently have to..

A lot of moaning people on here moaning about people who don't wear masks when they don't actually have to - even calling them entitled or thick or various other things. For the very stupid - THERE IS NO CURRENT REQUIREMENT TO WEAR A MASK - when it comes in and if people don't wear have a moan then.

It is a bit odd that the OP goes on about her area of spain when they have an outbreak telling English people they aren't special yet ignoring the fact that their outbreak is allowing thirty thousand fruit pickers into the area - not that's is a special kind of dumb @Changednamesorry - yet you call english dumb

Errr... yes they will be complusory indoors on the 24th July....

I havent't read all the thread, but I agree with you, OP. My sister lives in Spain, and is embarrassed by the ignorant British people flouting the mask rule.

Wear masks - save lives!

With over 500 people still testing positive every day, we have got to get this virus further under control.

Well i have yet to see the British media say anything like that about Spain, we hardly ever bash other countries? We didn't bash Spain when it was spiralling out of control saying how stupid you all were for not staying indoors and still going to beaches.

Hahaha... you can't have been reading the press then.
Because the outting down and the 'oh look at how bad THEY are' has been there all along and still is.

They will mandatory in shops not indoors lets be quite specific and clear on that. Indoors is too general a term to use. Because when gyms open that is indoors but you aren't going be told to wear masks.

@QuestionMarkNow

It case you hadn't noticed it isn't the 24th July yet.....

Therefore we don't know how many will be wearing them in shops because it is only the 14th July so wait and see.

well it IS our business when your refusal to wear a mask puts our health at risk

not sure how English/British people not wearing masks before they become compulsory is putting the OP's health at risk in another country. If she is worried about English/British tourists then she had better talk to her own government, and stop moaning on MN, which will achieve precisely nothing.

You must be so proud of your country, a country responsible for locking kids up for 42 days. That is criminal and still makes my blood boil. I have friends in Spain (they are Spanish) and I can assure you they are not all happy at having to wear masks outside where the risk is tiny.

The only way the naysayers will wear masks is if there are hefty fines for not doing so. I'm not sure if that will be the case, probably will though.

I do realise that some are genuinely unable to wear a mask. OK so, get your exemption certificate. Should be a £100 charge for them too! Oops.

Sometimes people in Britain (well England anyway) come across as having an exceptional view of themselves. That's not a criticism it's a fact. History and Brexit shows it.

Masks will become the norm fairly soon I think, but the usual rebels (not those medically exempt) will continue to push the boundaries and rely on their exceptionalism.

Don't know whether to press the button and reply, but what the heck I will!

Honestly, yes. Because Scotland at least seems to be following the masks advice with a lot less silliness than the English

So you can tell who's Scottish and who's English can you? Or better put, who LIVES in England and who LIVES in Scotland?

As for British tourists not behaving, well what's new? That's nothing to do with covid or masks and everything to do with being chavvy pricks.

Well in my opinion it's too late in the game

Yanbu.
I wore my mask today for the first time, weird feeling and it's a bit too big for me. I am pro mask though if its inside in a public space.

Do those who hate us Brits so much really imagine that if they lived in France or Spain they would look around them and find all compatriots to be wonderfully intelligent and reasonable? I think there is a wider misanthropy and snobbery about 'the stupid people' at play which is getting unleashed over mask-wearing. It's far more repulsive and destructive than people rightly questioning a major new piece of legislation.