Why don't supermarkets ask everybody who comes in to wear a mask?

[newfunkychicken]

Or am i being thick?

Because not everyone has masks and I'm assuming the supermarkets would be hard pushed to provide them for every shopper?

I wouldn't be able to shop because we have no masks, no elastic in the supermarkets to be able to make them and delivery on Amazon is showing as JUNE.

I don't own a mask and I'm sure im not in the only household without one

Because that’s not what the official advice is.
.

no proof they work!!

where do you dispose of them?
what happens if you touch it whilst shopping?

we have an abundance of various masks at work.....but i dont bother, i prefer our visors

@PurpleDaisies

They could still ask though, surely...

I don’t think it’s a reasonable ask.

I think medical opinion is tipping towards them now.

1. Where are they getting the masks from?
2. Masks don't protect YOU from getting it, they may prevent you from spreading it.
3. If you're symptomatic, you should be nowhere near a supermarket.
4. People won't wear them properly, will fiddle with them and take them off incorrectly.
5. Washing hands is probably sufficient to deal with the "risk" of supermarket shopping, which is very low.

Because they’ve got enough to deal with trying to manage the measures they’re already trying to implement without inventing new ones with which people will not be able to comply.

Not a reasonable ask until it is mandatory. Until I see concrete evidence they are useful to anyone other than front line staff or it becomes law I wont be wearing one.

I think when lock down lifts there will be quite a few smaller retailers and independent shops who will have a 'please wear a mask' sign on their doors.

However, unless and until there is firm clinical evidence to support the wearing of masks, for big shops selling essential items to lots of people (like Tesco ect) i don't think it would be right to enforce/impose a rule like that. Not everyone can access, afford or cope with wearing face masks.

I was watching mask-wearing people earlier today - almost uniformly, they were the ones who were not social distancing and continually touching their faces. People kept removing them or pulling them down to chat. I'd much rather people didn't wear masks and observed the basic guidelines.

A mask is only really useful if you're infected and you wear it to contain the virus and not cough it all over people (you would need to have washed your hands etc after touching your face when you put it on and all that).

The people walking around with masks on should also be wearing eye protection. If someone coughs or sneezes on you, the virus will enter through your eyes even if you were a mask.

Supermarkets would need to provide masks and eyewear, and since the nhs is struggling to get enough, why do you think supermarkets would be able to get enough for every customer? And do they know how yo avoid cross contamination when handing them out? Do they know how to remove and dispose of them? No.

Well most people I see wearing masks don't, have a fucking clue how to use them properly, so bit of a waste of time really.

Because they don't stop you catching it; people don't use them properly; it gives some people a false sense of security; it's not official guidance.

I don't think its reasonable to ask until a good supply of masks is avaliable.to the public. I have no idea where I would get one st the moment.

2. Masks don't protect YOU from getting it, they may prevent you from spreading it.

What about people who are not showing symptoms?

1. Washing hands is probably sufficient to deal with the "risk" of supermarket shopping, which is very low.

Is that the case? Good to know if true.

The woman on the checkout I went through yesterday had a mask on but moved it down to chat to a colleague.... Defeats the object really as the sort of mask it was would only prevent others catching anything.

What about people who are not showing symptoms?

But then you wouldn't be coughing. Social distancing and good hygine is enough.

A mask is only helps if you are infected, to stop you coughing over everyone.

I was queueing for Tesco yesterday. One nitwit kept pulling his mask down to smoke; one couple were wearing their masks helpfully around their necks; one guy was wearing a mask but touching the trolley and the barriers...and then his phone. Bet he didn't disinfect it.

Masks only work if people use them correctly and follow all the appropriate hygiene rules as well.

Oh and I also saw one man inside the shop pull down his mask to ask staff a question. Literally the opposite of how it's supposed to work. People are dim.

Some dirty fuckers still don't wash their hands regularly or properly and still touch everything and spread germs that way with or without a mask (food that they pick up and put back on the shelf, shelves, checkouts, doors, money/card/card machines)

saw a woman reversing out of our car park wearing a mask.....more like a bandana tied on......as she peered over her shoulder the mask rode up and covered her eyes. she was inches from the bollards. daft cow!