Masks in Cinemas, Museums etc.

[Rockhopper81]

So from August 8th, face coverings will become mandatory in cinemas, museums, 'indoor places where you will potentially be with people you don't know'.

I admit, I don't get it. I can go for a meal in a pub without wearing a covering, as they record details for test-and-trace, and have distanced the tables. But I will need to wear a covering to sit in a cinema, where there are already restrictions on seats (Cineworld, for example, requires two empty seats be left between groups bookings - admittedly not vertically, but horizontally), and my details are there when I make the booking on the app?

I can walk around a play park with my nephews without wearing a face covering (maintaining social distancing), but I can't do the same in a museum?

I can't be the only person who thinks this is going to dissuade people from going - is it really enjoyable to wear a face covering to a 'fun' event??

You can't really wear a face covering and eat at the same time. I'm assuming the play park is outside. I think basically face coverings will cover all indoor activities that are possible (so not eating or exercise).

I was very surprised to find out museums or cinemas were exempt. Thought they started cover-mandate same time as shops (was that a week ago?)

I dunno. Don't like it but am getting used to it.

What wasn't logical was having to wear a mask in Asda and yet not in the National Gallery, surely?

Does that mean they won't be selling popcorn at the cinema?

It will dissuade me as my varifocal glasses steam up and I can't see properly. I've been to the cinema lately, but would not go again.
I went to the hairdressers for 2.5 hours with mask and glasses and it was not fun. I won't be returning and I would have to knock the cinema on the head.

I have noticed people in shops pulling masks under their noses etc and some will do this in cinemas (not talking about those with genuine reasons) - how can this be policed in the dark?

Will snacks be banned then if face masks required?

@Thingybob

Does that mean they won't be selling popcorn at the cinema?

You are allowed to remove your mask to eat and drink so they will still be selling popcorn.

To be honest, if they are not allowed to sell food at a cinema they may as well be closed until you don’t have to wear masks anymore. They do not make enough money from ticket sales to survive.

I'm just giving up now. Rules change every 2 minutes, sick of Chris whitty misery

Honestly I understand why people are baffled by all the rules because the government has done such a terrible job of explaining and implementing them.

In Germany at the moment and there is really not much confusion about masks.

Wear them in indoor spaces -- outdoor spaces seem to be less dangerous for transmission.
Wear them in pubs/restaurants except when you are at your own table.

That's it, pretty much.

I won’t be going to a cinema or museum if I have to wear a mask.

The museum thing didn't make sense. In a retail environment you have to, but not in a museum? Many museums have a shop strategically placed so you have to walk through it. At our local museum people(unless exempt) have been wearing them.

@SengaStrawberry

I won’t be going to a cinema or museum if I have to wear a mask.

I think if you want to do anything over the next few months you will have to get used to it unfortunately. I imagine requirements for mask wearing are only going to increase. Also, if we want these places to still be around when this is ‘over’ then there is going to have to be an element of sucking it up I think!

I went to a London gallery today and they were handing out masks at the end of the exhibition to walk through the shop if you didn't already have one.

Masks were advised whilst inside the gallery, obviously that will change to mandated now.

The news about cinemas has completely put me off though - I was planning to go, but I can't see myself enjoying a 2-2.5 hour film with a mask on. My local cinema chain says the cafes and bars are shut anyway, so I assume I won't be able to get a drink to take in anyway.

Yeah, I’d rather not bother though @MarcelineMissouri and I expect I won’t be the only one. I’ve been supporting NT and making other cultural charitable donations through lockdown but I’m not interested in doing these activities in a mask. I’ll stick to cafes!

@Catspaw123

I'm just giving up now. Rules change every 2 minutes, sick of Chris whitty misery

This.

I was looking forward to the cinema, won't be going anymore.

I don't understand why it's not compulsory in hairdressers either? The only rule is the hairdresser has to wear a visor?? 🤷‍♀️. I think general compliance would be better if it didn't look like they made these rules up as they go along....

@SengaStrawberry

Yeah, I’d rather not bother though *@MarcelineMissouri* and I expect I won’t be the only one. I’ve been supporting NT and making other cultural charitable donations through lockdown but I’m not interested in doing these activities in a mask. I’ll stick to cafes!

I’m sure you won’t be the only one - I’m just saying these businesses may not be around for you to go back to afterwards. Mask wearing is going to become more and more a part of life for a while. We do need to try and get used to it. I managed 3 hours in a mask at the hairdressers and by the end of that I’d pretty much forgotten about it, athough it was still nice to take it off.

Agree that Government messaging and timing has been rubbish.... No wonder people are confused and it doesn’t help their credibility at all. I think the shops was the opening gambit...If that worked, and it largely has, extend it out to all public indoor places.

As for the inconsistency with restaurants/bars, the Government are playing a numbers game. Wearing a mask doesn’t make it “safe”... It makes things “safer”. That had to be balanced against the needs of the economy and our freedom. I think a lot of people want it black and white, but life is not either “safe” or “unsafe”, and compromise and balanced judgments is necessary.

Exemptions aside, you can go to a museum in a mask, so why not reduce the risk... You clearly can’t when eating, so that’s an additional risk we’re taking as a society to enable us to get a bit more back to normal.

It honestly feels like chris whitty is dictating the Govt is avidly following and the country, economy and people's lives being thrown under a bus

I think it's another positive step and definitely makes me feel happier to take DCs. We would have worn masks anyway and museum local to us made them mandatory a week or so ago.

Cinema I expect we'll wear then in the entrance area to queue, in corridors, stairs and toilets then be able to remove masks once seated as a family group in the screen room with empty seats around us. Have refreshments as normal through the film, put masks back on to leave.

I managed 3 hours in a mask at the hairdressers and by the end of that I’d pretty much forgotten about it

I wore one for an hour and a half shopping the other day. Obviously would prefer it if I didn’t have to, but was ok. I think those without medical exemptions should just get over this mask moaning - it’s here to stay, get used to it.

@Catspaw123

Or perhaps you’d like to go back to where we were mid-March... or even worse where we would have been by mid-April had we been encouraged just to take it on the chin.... Of course, people - along with the economy and health - would crack irrespective of Government intervention well before then if they did nothing as you seem to want them to do.

I had to travel the other day and wore a mask for about 7 hours straight. You do get used to it! Try out different masks to find one that's more comfortable. I think a big part of the problem is people are wearing crap masks that feel suffocating.

I would personally rather wear a mask and have everything open.

@Catspaw123 I'm just giving up now. Rules change every 2 minutes, sick of Chris whitty misery
You have the attitude of a petulant child and sound like you would be the first the complain if there was another national lockdown. Wearing masks will help to prevent that. Whitty isn’t trying to spoil your fun he is trying to save both lives and the economy.

I agree that there are plenty of circumstances where wearing a mask makes sense. But museums? Really? How many documented cases of transmission in a bloody museum have there been?
Cinemas make more sense because the seating is fixed, but since they make the majority of their profits by selling food and drink, I wonder what the level of compliance will be. Can you remove your mask to shovel popcorn into your mouth, or slurp your drink?