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Original poster

Is mask wearing limiting your economic participation?

542 replies

byvirtue · 08/08/2020 12:33

I knew mask wearing was mandatory in shops but I hadn’t heard about the new restrictions that have come out today www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53702291

I had planned to head to a spa for a couple of days this month for my birthday and we were going to book a staycation in a hotel in September. We would have easily spent £2k on these trips.

Now it seems that masks are mandatory for spa treatments and in hotel public areas we won’t be going. I personally find face coverings unpleasant and they significantly reduce my enjoyment so I'd rather not bother.

We are fit and healthy with money to spend and were happy to get out and spend money prior to face coverings becoming mandatory. These new rules mean the opportunities for us to spend money have been notably reduced.

I’m curious are these extended face covering rules going to lead to you spending more or less now?

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 09/08/2020 21:46

Yes. I won't bother going to shops like John Lewis or M & S till this mask business is dropped.

FinnyStory · 09/08/2020 21:47

I was supposed to be in Dublin this weekend. I went blackberry picking instead. I can't say it was because of masks but I have no desire to go browsing in shops or to the cinema or for a spa weekend if I have to wear a mask.

Goinghometocallie · 09/08/2020 21:57

Yes! Wouldn’t go anywhere that wasn’t essential such as popping in a shop for something I really needed. I have to wear one all day at work and I’m against them and worried for my health wearing them that much anyway. No way will I do it in my leisure time. If we can’t get them off within next 4/6 months I’ll have to change jobs. So unhealthy imo.

Goinghometocallie · 09/08/2020 22:07

Seen more people not wearing them in shops this week than last aswell. Think I’ll wait till we get to the point when we’re about 20% rebelling and then give up on them too. I’m only wearing in shops because I’m scared to get shouted at!

Viviennemary · 09/08/2020 22:09

So what is the actual 'rule. If you find a mask uncomfortable are you exempt. Can a shop ask you to leave. I'm not going to test this out. I'll just avoid shops large and small as much as I can till the mask rule is lifted.

YorkshireIndie · 09/08/2020 22:13

No but the rules for going out do. We have to wash everything, change and wash clothes and have a wash. Now the question is can I be bothered with the whole effort of it all. A mask is a small non negotiable part

CatandtheFiddle · 09/08/2020 22:15

I understand that the wearing of masks is to (supposedly) protect others. I still think it should be personal choice, to my knowledge there is no data to back up that the wearing of masks significantly reduces the spread of Corona

No data?

www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-07-08-oxford-covid-19-study-face-masks-and-coverings-work-act-now

THere's quite a lot more, but the peer-reviewed stuff is on my university's password-protected database.

Iverunoutofnames · 09/08/2020 22:18

I went to a big Tesco’s today and there were a few people not wearing them. Not wearing them will spread when they see people aren’t challenged.
I’m too conformist not to wear one though.

Viviennemary · 09/08/2020 22:19

Why were masks not made compulsory months ago. I just don't understand it. Did they want people to catch the virus so they could recover before the next lot of people. It's not logical introducing them now. Months ago they were asked if we should be wearing masks in public places. They said no it wouldn't make any difference.

TempsPerdu · 09/08/2020 22:22

Yes, very much so. Essential shopping only for us at the moment. No browsing, no luxuries. Love the cinema but won’t be going while the mask rule applies. Ditto museums and galleries - it’s just not enjoyable.

We’ve always been careful shoppers but with a fairly high disposable income. Now we’re saving a fortune.

MadisonAvenue · 09/08/2020 22:22

I’m complying but I don’t like wearing one so I’m only going out for the absolute essentials whereas before mask wearing was made compulsory I was trying to support the high street, especially small independent businesses.

Also, I don’t like the fact that mask wearing in shops has made some people think that they don’t need to practise social distancing any more and that it’s perfectly fine to reach over others to get what they need.

We have a Limitless card with Odeon, they froze the payments when they closed in March but they were restarting this month. Neither of us feel comfortable with sitting in a room for 2+ hours especially now masks are required and we’d have to get there well in advance of when the film starts in order to be allocated a decent socially distanced seat so we’ve finally got Odeon to agree to freeze our payments for a further three months. It’s a shame because up until March we’d visit the cinema weekly.

YewHedge · 09/08/2020 22:23

Masks are enhancing my economic contributions by making me more likely to go to the shops etc as they really reduce COVIS SARS 2 transmission so I feel safer, plus they keep me well (because they are reducing transmission) so I able to keep working and therefore contributing to the economy (rather than becoming ill and taking resources from the economy).

PhilSwagielka · 09/08/2020 22:24

@FinnyStory I love it when the blackberries come out. Especially at the moment when they're so juicy.

larrygrylls · 09/08/2020 22:31

I really don’t get why people object to wearing masks in the current circumstances; I think it just demonstrates a lack of understanding of the exponential function.

If we can keep r at 1 (it is above there now), in 50 days time we will still have 1,000 positive tests per day, will still be able to work, eat out and have people over socially. If r just creeps to 1.2, in 50 days time we will have 6,000 cases per day and, in 100 days, 36,000 cases per day. At some point, whether you like it or not, our freedoms will be curtailed substantially again.

And for what, the right to not feel a bit hot and annoyed in public? Of course, no virus, no masks would be ideal, but we don’t have that choice.

We are right on the edge now, we could work hard collectively to be sensible and keep the virus at a very low level. Or, we can say fuck if and go back to where we were in April sometime this winter.

askmehowiknow · 09/08/2020 22:45

[quote onlinelinda]@askmehowiknow "me me me me me"[/quote]
Eh?

I'm married! Dating people not able to have sex doesn't affect me at all. It's not right though!

Derbygerbil · 09/08/2020 22:46

@epythymy

Or maybe Japan which appears to be having a not insignificant second wave as we speak.

Oh, I thought you said it was all over Confused

You clearly decided long ago that Covid is an overblown load of nonsense, and use any random extracts of “news” or “studies” to justify it. If it fits with your pre-conceived belief, it’s right! If not, it’s wrong! The comments pages of the Daily Mail are full of them, cherry-picking as “fact” anything that fits their belief, and decrying as “bogus” anything that doesn’t, but oddly oblivious they are doing so.

Fruityloopyloop · 09/08/2020 22:48

@CatandtheFiddle

Countries where masks have been being worn such as Spain, France, Italy and the U.S have high fatalities and are still having spikes. Maybe you should look at Sweden's approach and stats?

Knowing what we do now I would honestly prefer to take Sweden's approach and aim for herd immunity whilst protecting the vulnerable. Otherwise things could go on as they are for months, possibly years and it's just not sustainable. I'm already flouting mask wearing as much as possible and have ignored certain other rules. I doubt the majority of the population would agree to go on with things as they are if it could be for months with no end in sight.

askmehowiknow · 09/08/2020 22:52

[quote Derbygerbil]@epythymy

Or maybe Japan which appears to be having a not insignificant second wave as we speak.

Oh, I thought you said it was all over Confused

You clearly decided long ago that Covid is an overblown load of nonsense, and use any random extracts of “news” or “studies” to justify it. If it fits with your pre-conceived belief, it’s right! If not, it’s wrong! The comments pages of the Daily Mail are full of them, cherry-picking as “fact” anything that fits their belief, and decrying as “bogus” anything that doesn’t, but oddly oblivious they are doing so.[/quote]
Didn't you say on another thread that not wearing a mask was unhygienic. I thought that was very odd and perhaps points to the fact you have underlying issues?

HeIenaDove · 09/08/2020 23:00

"And for what, the right to not feel a bit hot and annoyed in public"

You try living in a flat thats like a fucking sauna. And then see how eager you fucking well are to sweat your guts out in a mask?

And i do wear one when im in Tesco. Im not going round the high street sweating in one though. I get enough of that in the shithole of a sweat box i have to live in.

And so did many people all through lockdown

Some of us have done more than our fair share of sweating our guts out already

Check your privilege

HeIenaDove · 09/08/2020 23:12

And a lot on here wernt too worried when ppl were having benefits and wages cut pre Covid and couldnt participate economically

CoffeeRevelLove · 09/08/2020 23:25

No. Time to get back to the new normal. If wearing masks means I can have fun with my friends I really don't care. Fabric masks are a lot easier to wear than the surgical masks worn at the hospital.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 09/08/2020 23:27

If wearing masks means I can have fun with my friends I really don't care

This used to mean something veeerrrry different 9 months ago

SengaStrawberry · 09/08/2020 23:47

I’ll wait for the infection numbers to drop rapidly now they’re compulsory everywhere. I expect I’ll be waiting a long time, and in fact will be fed some unprovable bullshit instead about how much higher rates would be without masks being worn.

BilboBercow · 09/08/2020 23:53

Unfortunately they make me feel really panicky and I can only wear them for a short time without the danger of a panic attack.
My daughter also hates them and was quite frightened of them at first but we've done a lot of work on that and it's a lot better now.
As a result I only make short essential shopping trips/trips to the pharmacy and otherwise avoid activities where they're needed.

Goyle · 09/08/2020 23:57

Husband has been off work with a trapped nerve in the back. Doesn't help our L-shaped sofa is f*cked. We need to dump it and get a sofa for dd and me, and a supportive armchair for dh. He won't buy anything he hasn't sat on first, so I can't order blind online, but he won't go in any shops because of the mask thing. He hates wearing masks to the point he thinks he's being suffocated. (He has anxiety and depression too) I am this close to dumping the sofa at the tip and buying in three cheap plastic garden chairs from IKEA. He's always been awkward but this is next level if his health can be compromised the stubborn bugger.