Wearing masks makes people less likely to social distance

[CKBJ]

SKY News are reporting a recent study which concludes mask wearers are more likely to be closer to people than those that don’t wear masks. They also say it’ll be harder to reimplement tougher social distancing rules if there is a second wave.

I have seen this in supermarkets since masks were mandatory. People get closer,reach over you to get something just like before Covid. However, I also think the governments partly to blame when they reduced the 2m to 1m plus mitigation’s with many situations the mask is a mitigation. It’s also harder to judge 1m then 2m. The government should be clearer.

I'd be fine with someone being near me while wearing a mask. There's no need for both social distancing and a mask. The likelihood of passing it on while passing by each other while both wearing masks is tiny.

But isn't that one of the reasons for wearing masks? As risk mitigation where social distancing isn't possible?

That’s inevitable I think. Mask wearing has enabled supermarkets and shops to admit more people, hence less distancing. Makes sense also in light of upcoming winter months.

Tbh I much prefer shopping with others who wear masks vs trying to anxiously manoeuvre a trolley 2m away from other shoppers.

You can't stay 2m away from other shoppers in most shopping aisles anyway because they're not wide enough. If everyone who can wear a mask, wears one, it's fine. You're not going to catch the virus walking past someone, especially if they have their back to you because they're looking at products on a shelf.

However, it would be nice if the joined-at-the-hip couples could walk single file to allow some sort of distancing even if it's only 1m. They way they walk, you're lucky to get 10cm.

Well, where I am the rules are "masks to be worn where social distancing isn't possible" so it's kind of the point.

People have no idea what 2m looks like so I’d rather they were wearing a mask when standing what they reckon 2m looks like away from me.

That's one of the reasons for masks.

That's why there's consideration for school corridors etc.

Because you just cannot SD.

The mask mitigates some of that risk.

That's the point of the mask - you've got this the wrong way round. It's for when you can't stay 2m away.

Keeping people two meters away from each other at all times in public was never going to be sustainable. Every trip to the supermarket was a full on mission before masks, and all that queuing.

This is why we have masks, so we can be a bit more normal.

I find if you pause to let people pass or wait until your product shelf becomes free other people who were being a bit slack with their distancing start to distance a bit as well.

What else can you do.

It's pants but it won't be forever this time next year I am sure life will return to how it was.