To think unless you are actually medically exempt you can't get out of wearing a mask?

[Simsie]

People on social media are telling others to download a basic picture of text saying "I am exempt from wearing a mask" to present at supermarkets if they don't want to wear a mask.

Not medically exempt, no hidden disabilities, just for those don't want to wear one.

Surely that crap isn't going to work?

@Nicknacky

Redglitter I had hoped (how I’m this naive I don’t know!) that people would have stopped phoning the polis for petty nonsense.

I wish 😂

I am young, in my 20s. I have multiple health issues I don't wish to disclose. I don't look like I have various disabilities (mainly because I cover them up very well). I can't wear a mask. I don't wish to explain why. Yesterday I got shouted at by someone in Aldi. The irony is that she was wearing a mask but spending ages leaning over everything and touching things.
I now feel uncomfortable going out. I will be going to the supermarket once a week and that will be all. All my spare money is now going into a savings fund for a big holiday abroad whenever restrictions are lifted. I'm not spending my money in places I feel uncomfortable and judged.

Of course they have to let people in without masks if they say they are exempt, if they don't they could find themselves facing charges of disability discrimination

If it went to court though, surely it would come to light there was no disability. Hmm. Unless it was a rare case that there actually was. As you were.

If it went to court though, surely it would come to light there was no disability. Hmm. Unless it was a rare case that there actually was. As you were

Well it would clearly only go to court if someone with a disability quite rightly challenged the store and took them to court... The shop isn't going to be the one instigating the court proceedings.

I've been wearing a mask but I just nearly had a panic attack in Tesco because I felt like it was choking me. I had to take it off in an empty aisle for a moment to not panic. No, I don't have the option to not go/get shopping online.

I think the amount of people that would actually do that are very minimal. I’ve been in a major city today shopping all day. I only saw one person in one shop actually be reminded to wear a mask, everyone had one on. Her reply was simply. “Oh god I totally forgot about it, my apologies” there was not one police officer or PCSO to be seen, all very peaceful.

I have printed one of the exemption cards. I suffer terribly from panic attacks, my plan is to wear my mask as much as possible but if I feel the first feeling of a panic attack starting I'm taking it off and showing the card.

What happens to those of us still awaiting diagnosis following the lockdown delay? How are GPs going to cope if all eligible or potentially eligible patients want appointments and official letters?

I so desperately wish everyone would stop trying to police each other and be a bit tolerant. Yes, some people aren't wearing masks because they don't want to, but that's not the fault of those who genuinely can't and they shouldn't be expected to justify themselves to every nosy busybody who can't mind their own bloody business.

I'll be wearing a mask myself, but that comment about socially shunning was fucking repulsive @Jaxhog.

@Jaxhog

Exempt people will have a letter saying they're exempt. No letter, you have to wear a mask. I gather the police will be doing spot checks and on-the-spot fines.

That's sadly completely incorrect. People who genuinely cannot wear one have not been issued with anything, where did you get this information from?

@Jaxhog

Exempt people will have a letter saying they're exempt. No letter, you have to wear a mask. I gather the police will be doing spot checks and on-the-spot fines.

There aren't letters for medical exemptions that's the problem. Anyone can say they are exempt.

I so desperately wish everyone would stop trying to police each other and be a bit tolerant. Yes, some people aren't wearing masks because they don't want to, but that's not the fault of those who genuinely can't and they shouldn't be expected to justify themselves to every nosy busybody who can't mind their own bloody business.

I wasn't making a sweeping generalisation of people not wearing masks, I'm talking specifically about people who are wilfully refusing to wear them for no reason other than just not wanting to.

It's not about people who can't, it's about people who won't.

@Iggii

Do supermarkets have to let anyone in? I mean if they decided to insist on mask wearing, no exceptions, could they do that?

No, because that would be discriminating against people who have illnesses and disabilities which mean they can't. And that's not OK.

Most people will comply, whatever their personal feelings on masks. Because they don't want a fine, or for some local numpty, paid-up member of the Covid Police to take their picture and slap it all over the local FB group.

Some people won't and they're the same people who were having house parties and organising raves in April.

What is wrong with people in this country? Are we that self absorbed and fragile?

Go to other countries (even over the border to Scotland or Ireland) and nearly everyone just puts a mask on without any fuss.

Why does everything here have to be such a trial? We should have had them on since March.

@GilderoyLockdown

I'll be wearing a mask myself, but that comment about socially shunning was fucking repulsive *@Jaxhog*.

I wouldn't go as far as to say it was "fucking repulsive"

Posters are jumping on that comment and being OTT.

@Jaxhog

Socially shun? On the basis of you feeling that someone has smirked?

You sound like you have your burning torch and pitch fork ready to lead the angry mob. Not a good look.

We need to socially shun anyone who doesn't

And an attitude like this is the reason I'll now no longer go in a shop, even though I have a very valid reason.

It's not about people who can't, it's about people who won't.

And when you see someone in the fruit and veg aisle in Tesco without a mask, how do you tell which category they are in? Are they a "can't" or "won't"?

Obviously you can't. And it's not up to you as a member of the public to go about asking people. It's none of your business to expect people to disclose their personal or medical history to you. Many major stores are taking the same line - we're not enforcing it. That's the police's job.

The go on good morning advised people to do this so there must be something in it.

If you don't think it was fucking repulsive, you aren't going far enough. The implications of it are awful. It's a fact that not everyone who is exempt will have proof, and with the NHS being as it currently is, not everyone will even have the option to get it. People might be exempt for all kinds of reasons they don't feel able to disclose to some passing busybody, and apparently the outcome of this should be social shunning for them. That is indefensible. The problem here isn't with the people who've correctly identified that.

I went to the supermarket today. I only saw children not wearing them. Even teens had them on.

My GP practice put a notice out the other day to say they would NOT be providing any exemption letters for patients regarding mask wearing. So where do these official exemption letters supposedly come from?

@Simsie

It's not about people who can't, it's about people who won't.

Since nobody can tell the difference, that point is moot.

All this continued discussion does is frighten people who genuinely can't wear masks and prove why because (1) there's no mechanism to do so, (2) they shouldn't have to (3) their conditions are nobody else's fucking business. So many people in that position will continue to isolate when they shouldn't have to, potentially damaging their mental health. It's infuriating.

It's like this pandemic has rolled back the rights of people with disabilities by 30 years.

Why can't people wear a scarf rather than a mask if they don't like to wear a mask. In the winter when it's bloody freezing people will have a scarf on and pull it up over their mouth etc to keep warm.

I'm sick of people moaning about masks.

The whole plan is incredibly flawed and will be exploited no end.

Genuine medical issues aside, decent people will wear one.

The despicable, selfish, sociopathic arseholes will just do as they please, same with lockdown.

On the one hand it'll show up the selfish scumbags of society, but the victims of this are the medically exempt. 1) they're more exposed due to the sociopaths who won't wear a mask and 2) they get lumbered in with them if it's a hidden disability. If I couldn't wear a mask i'd be avoiding shops and transport for those reasons.