Will Government announce mandatory face coverings in shops by Monday?

[Derbygerbil]

It seems they are now convinced that face coverings are a good idea in enclosed spaces, and are happy to make mandate it.... They are desperate to keep infections down so they can continue to open up the economy, so my money is on them extending it over the weekend to more
places, still from 15 June to give people time to comply.... especially given the very recent WHO advice.

So if we are copying other countries when it comes to masks and people are saying we should be doing the same as other countries and cant understand why we havent been so far................then why arent we disinfecting the streets............you know, like other countries?

If there’s an argument for it, we should... However, I’ve not seen anything indicating that it is though. Disinfecting streets isn’t widespread either, though I recall Iran making a show of doing it. However, they’re not the best example!

asked a masked customer services assistant about something the other day and couldn’t make head nor tail of what she was saying it was so muffled

I work in retail, and I'm concerned about being able to communicate well with customers when wearing masks.

Unless your wearing a high quality filter medical mask it’s pointless. Virus droplets can pass freely each way through surgical, and home made masks.

I suppose you think tissues are pointless too and we might as well cough into people’s faces..... because tissues are guaranteed to catch everything. Of course, face coverings aren’t as good as a high-grade medical mask... it’s about reducing not eliminating risk.

@Drivingdownthe101

Im sorry.... I appreciate there are some people who will find my genuinely hard as opposed to others who are just being stubborn. A face mask is rather claustrophobic.... a snood or something is much easier I find.

If masks are to become mandatory will there be instruction how to wear them/dispose of them in a safe or appropriate manner. I wear a (disposable) mask to the supermarket. I dont wear it in the car driving home. (I use hand sanitiser before touching things in the car) I dispose of it at home and wash my hands with soap and water afterwards. But I've been told by more knowledgeable people that this is wrong. ...so is there no point of you're doing it wrong and I am will we be given instruction...or is any covering better than nothing...?

work in a shop and I really don't want to wear a face mask all day. I'm dreading the announcement. I suffer with terrible anxiety and panic attacks and I really don't like the thought of something covering my face all day.

Today 21:23icelollycraving

I have to wear one every day at work. 4 hours continuous work in one today until a break. I had to sleep for a couple of hours when I got home as it makes me so exhausted. I also feel disorientated sometimes and cannot think as well as usual.

Other countries have been doing it for a while already & people just get used to it. Yes it’s not going to stop 100% of the viruses but it’s better than no mask. And where I live it’s masks & social distancing in shops (as much as possible).
Not sure why Britain is always at least 100 steps behind other countries.

I hope so and in offices and schools, it’s the norm in some other countries. People/children cope fine.

"Will Government announce mandatory face coverings in shops by Monday?"
Why are so many posts just pure speculation? Is there a prize for guessing correctly?

@Derbygerbil

Unless your wearing a high quality filter medical mask it’s pointless. Virus droplets can pass freely each way through surgical, and home made masks.

I suppose you think tissues are pointless too and we might as well cough into people’s faces..... because tissues are guaranteed to catch everything. Of course, face coverings aren’t as good as a high-grade medical mask... it’s about reducing not eliminating risk.

You don’t need to suppose anything or be snippy about it. I’m just telling you a fact. And most people don’t go around sneezing in people’s faces.

By the way if you sneeze in a tissue you generally put it straight in to the bin, not have it strapped to your face. I mean would you walk around with a tissue strapped to your face after you’ve just sneezed in it? Of course you wouldn’t because it would be wet and full of bacteria or virus particles. Or are you going to take your mask of - sneeze in to tissue- put the tissue in the big- then put your mask back on?

I think you’ve just proven my point to be honest.

For this to work you’d need a steady supply that you can bin after each use. ( who has access to that many) Those cute little kerchiefs people are making on facebook will not cut it.

And no they don’t need them in school. Junior school children rely on the teachers expression when they are teaching. Especially foundation level children when learning to read, this would be impossible to do. Thankfully the teacher friends I have are against it.

I've said this on another thread but will put it here too. I'm profoundly Deaf. I have no problem with wearing a mask but I am very worried about being able to manage in shops etc (and I'm only going if I have to) if everyone is wearing a mask that covers their mouth. I lipread and if I cannot see the speakers mouth, I have no chance of understanding what is said, that is IF I know they have said anything in the first place! It's very easy to say use pen/paper or transcribe app etc but a lot of hearing people get very irritated/angry when I don't hear them or struggle to understand now when not wearing a mask so what are they going to be like when they are?

I am worried that I and other Deaf people are going to be even more isolated within the hearing world than we already are. It's not that we don't understand or don't agree re masks, we do. We are worried about being able to cope when it's already difficult for us.

Also if they do be one mandatory I hope they are bloody free. We’ve got a food bank crisis, people choosing whether to by nappies or san pro, this is not another expense that people do not have the money for.

By the way if you sneeze in a tissue you generally put it straight in to the bin, not have it strapped to your face. I mean would you walk around with a tissue strapped to your face after you’ve just sneezed in it? Of course you wouldn’t because it would be wet and full of bacteria or virus particles. Or are you going to take your mask of - sneeze in to tissue- put the tissue in the big- then put your mask back on?

Apologies for being snippy... very tired last night but that’s no excuse. I take your point, but if you are coughing and spluttering you shouldn’t be out on public transport or shops anyway.

A face mask is rather claustrophobic.... a snood or something is much easier I find.

That would make no difference to me, I can't wrap a scarf around my face in winter, have the bed covers over my face or even wear a polo neck.

I take your point, but if you are coughing and spluttering you shouldn’t be out on public transport or shops anyway.

I have hay fever and cough from March to September. What do you suggest I do, stay at home for 6 months of the year?

Well I’ve ordered some for DH and the DC. Luckily the DC think it’s quite exciting, especially as they have Frozen print ones!
I’ll just be staying out of public places until all this is over, or until I find a way of ‘curing’ my claustrophobia, whichever comes soonest!

Let me know if you do find a cure Drivingdownthe101! My big fear is my job as we've been told we have to wear a mask in the office. I panicked and considered handing in my notice as I can't do it. Hopefully it'll be a long time before we go back!

@Derbygerbil

By the way if you sneeze in a tissue you generally put it straight in to the bin, not have it strapped to your face. I mean would you walk around with a tissue strapped to your face after you’ve just sneezed in it? Of course you wouldn’t because it would be wet and full of bacteria or virus particles. Or are you going to take your mask of - sneeze in to tissue- put the tissue in the big- then put your mask back on?

Apologies for being snippy... very tired last night but that’s no excuse. I take your point, but if you are coughing and spluttering you shouldn’t be out on public transport or shops anyway.

I hear you bit if you’ve got what you just think is a cold or a bit of hay fever your not going to stay in if you have to go to work/do food shopping ect.. we can’t stay locked up forever.

I don’t think people understand how small the particles of COVID is. Unless your wearing a high grade hospital filter mask you might as well strap a sieve to your face. Snoods, home made masks, surgical masks will not give people protection. The only thing is does is give people a false sense of security.

@Sonotech

There is a video going round which shows a man blowing out a candle through a normal surgical mask.

It would be more surprising and concerning if he couldn’t, as masks can’t be airtight for obvious reasons. Air molecules (ie oxygen and nitrogen) are less than a 1/10 th of nanometre in diameter, compared to droplets within your breath that are circa 5 micrometers.... Air molecules are therefore 50,000 times smaller!

We have been wearing them for over a month now. At first it was all the time outside now it is is in shops or enclosed areas. Its fine , you know you cope . We have a mixture of cotton ones home made which we put a filter in and change. Then we have disposable ones that we actually rinse out and soak in disenfectant , and then we hang in the sun . In hot temperatures the cotton ones have been best and I change it when it gets hot and humid, Bung it in a plastic bag take home and wash. If anyone is making their own we had a huge short of elastic so gut up pop socks work and they are softer than elastic.

Air borne particles are less that 1 macro meter. You should have a look at the research in to it.

Air borne particles are less that 1 macro meter. You should have a look at the research in to it.

Yes, if they are aerosolised (presuming you mean micrometres)... Our current scientific understanding (and there’s a pretty wide consensus on this) is that Covid is only aerosolised under certain conditions and is generally carried by droplets instead. It’s not like measles. If Covid was like measles in this respect then shops would be infectious zones for Covid even with 20m social distancing!

In the case of Coronavirus (COVID-19), droplet spread can occur from symptomatic as well as presymptomatic and asymptomatic persons. It is these droplets that need to be contained.

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.19.20071779v1.full.pdf

Research on homemeade fabric face coverings

@sonotech we have no choice it is law here you have to wear them... And our government provided 3 per family free so they must have believed in them. Our shops all have perspex screens and our supermarket assistants wear masks and face shields. We have limited numbers on public transport ( enforced) and our numbers are going down .... Masks may or maynot help but I am with the may side and will continue to wear until we are advised not to ....You do what you like as you obviously belive that they are a waste of space .