[quote visitingagain]@tigger1001 
for saying I am scared of debate!! After starting this thread!!!
We are past debating. What is there to debate? Whether we like it or not covid is here to stay and the best thing we can do is try to mitigate against it with the tools we have - vaccines, masks etc. because that's ALL WE HAVE.
It would be great to see everyone getting ffp2 masks free from the government but that's incredibly unlikely. However even a nasty old rag is still more effective than not wearing anything at all.
Also, the Scotland/ England comparison is useless as there are so many variables.
But what can be said is Scotland and Wales have not had to faff about persuading people to put masks back on at a crucial moment when we are seeing pressures on out health services.
"Debate"on this topic is so unhealthy and can become downright dangerous, as someone said there are other topics that get pounced on by MNHQ but why is this one allowed?[/quote]
You are funny. Not scared of debate, while shutting down others, and then in the same post debate is unhealthy 😂😂😂
If masks were so effective why was England's numbers per 100k the lowest in the uk while they were not wearing masks and the other countries were? It's not a trick question to catch people out or a "gotcha" question. It's genuine. If the different governments were all imposing similar restrictions but with a few noticeable differences then it's right to look at the results of that, and ask why the differences in results.
Do you genuinely think a dirty reused mask is better than nothing? Or does it just make you feel better and or safer if everyone wears them irrespective of how well they are worn? Again, a genuine question. From conversations in real life, it does seem to be that others feel safer rather than it actually being safer. And that deserves conversation. Not to be told your opinion doesn't matter.
And with regards to masks, you can't really expect people to embrace them when the whole messaging at the start was "masks are not effective". People might have known differently, but that was the governments message. And it stuck.
People are so wholeheartedly sick of the flip flop actions of the government, that the effect is no one now believes a word they say. You want to improve mask wearing? Don't restrict debate around it, and look at the governments on messaging throughout this whole thing.
I also include the Scottish governments messaging in that too. We are told to wear masks, social distance, yet our leaders were at cop26 taking every selfie opportunity and not a mask in sight.