Compliancy with face mask wearing in shops

[NotExactlyMrsCurrentAffairs]

Where I live (semi rural, small town, low covid rates) people are very compliant. I rarely see anyone without a mask shopping, the odd one or two in the whole time they've been made mandatory.

Today I went to visit my parents, they live in Birmingham, close to Sandwell and Smethwick, high rates of covid in these areas. After my visit I popped to their local supermarket en route home and noticed lots of customers, around 20-25% not wearing face masks and thought it's no wonder there are high rates with compliancy so low.

Very high compliance here from what I've seen. Also a fairly low case area. Last week we had 8 over 3 days and it was pure panic. We usually have about 1!

Although my autistic teen ds doesn't wear one because they induced panic attacks.

Was surprised today when nipped into co op for milk and 5 builders popped in from over the road without masks and bold as brass.

Not near me so didn't worry too much but did have a giggle to myself that when I walked past them on site a few minutes earlier they were wearing masks due to what they were doing.

I'd guess they were making a point?!

For some reason loads aren't wearing masks in the local corner shops and takeaways, but everyone does in the supermarkets. Low number of cases, but much higher a few miles away in both directions.

@Mum2jenny

And I’ve noticed many ppl wear masks incorrectly in that their nose is not covered. And it really pisses me off, and I do tend to tell them. Have had some very offensive responses though.

I'm not surprised. None of your business how/whether someone wears a mask.

Community transmission is still negligible, even in the areas with higher case rates. But don't let facts get in the way of yet another mask rant.

Yup same here, I would say only around 70%wearing them and only around 50%of the wearer's wearing them properly. It really annoys me actually because I'm pregnant wearing one makes me very short of breath and a bit dizzy. Also gives me a sore head. I don't understand how so many people can be exempt.

I posted this yesterday, but I went into a Morrison’s in a rough part of town and less than half the people were wearing them. I imagine as time goes on then fewer and fewer people will bother. Just as no one is bothering with social distancing anymore.

Everyone in Lidl had them on yesterday but about half had their noses out

It's not completely unreasonable to think that people who won't wear masks out of choice probably break other rules intended to subdue the spread of CV. I say "won't" because if a large proportion of customers aren't wearing masks then it's unlikely to be because of exemption across the board.

Our area in the Southwest has relatively low incidents of CV and compliance with mask wearing is very high, I would say. We don't go to the supermarket, but we've been to Ikea twice recently. Once in Southampton and once in Bristol. Both times it was very busy and on both occasions I saw ONE person not wearing a mask. I think that's amazing with such high numbers of people.

I have just been to visit my parents in Scotland. Hardly anyone was wearing masks in the shops.

@Mum2jenny

And I’ve noticed many ppl wear masks incorrectly in that their nose is not covered. And it really pisses me off, and I do tend to tell them. Have had some very offensive responses though.

I would give you short shrift if you tried to tell me how to wear my mask. I release it lightly every so often to unsteam my glasses.

Here in Liverpool hardly anyone is wearing masks, younger people in particular don't and don't follow SD. I'm having to constantly ask people to stand back, so are people who I talk to. It's slightly better in Knowsley. There's no way that teenagers will comply. I live in a high crime/anti social area, so it was never going to happen and the the Police struggle to keep on top of any type of crime, so it was never enforceable.

I don't agree with the criterias of what constitutes an outbreak, though and I think that businesses and dentists really do need to start justifying the lack of service. As does the NHS.

Brummie here and agree, it's piss poor. You can't single out any individual because you don't know their circumstances, but I don't believe all the maskless people have a valid reason, just from the numbers.

The other day our neighbours had about 5 people standing outside the front door chatting, all close together, no masks.

I wonder if its something to do with feeling part of a community? I'm in a medium sized town with low infection rates, and there's very high compliance. But its generally one of those places where people do generally try and help each other and I think people are doing it because of that. In larger cities perhaps you have less feeling of connection, and therefor are less likely to feel that you're helping others by wearing a mask??

It’s nobody’s business as to why someone else isn’t wearing a mask, they could have a medical condition or could indeed have forgotten to bring their masks out with them, it is so easy done and I’ve done it loads of times myself!

Of course, people that can wear masks absolutely should as much as possible when in shops and in enclosed indoor spaces, but if I see people not wearing one, it doesn’t bother me, as long as they don’t get too close to me

I think masks are particularly effective when a family wears them into a restaurant, takes them off, folds them up in a nice neat pile on the table. Then finishes up, puts them back on, pushes chairs in and off they go. Really would be better not to have worn them at all.*

I don’t see your rationale at all. The family aren’t wearing masks to prevent other family members from catching Covid?! So whereas it’s not exactly great hygiene to fold them up together, I can’t seeing it having any impact on masks’ effectiveness.

Sorry, last message wasn’t clear due to bold fail. It was in response to @Treesofwood post at 23:11

There seems to be the correlation in general:

urban and/or more deprived areas = low levels of mask compliance

rural/suburban and/or less deprived areas = high levels of mask compliance

I reckon rates will go up when schools return and the Government will clamp down... One way of doing it is to ensure shops have fewer than 20% of people in without masks over an hour period. Random or targeted checks by Trading Standards, and fines and closure for non-compliance.

You can’t close shops just because someone isn’t wearing a face covering

It isn’t up to the shops to enforce the law

@Derbygerbil it's not up to shops to enforce this rule. That has been made very clear.

@yawnsvillex

At the moment... But the Government has a habit of making u-turns

I’m not saying the Government will do this - they probably won’t and I can see it causing all sorts of grief if they did, but it’s an option. If there is general non-compliance with the law, they will probably do something to make non-compliance harder.

Given recent experience, I think those that think the Government will just drop mask-wearing are guilty of wishful thinking, and I write as someone who thinks they have limited effectiveness in most retail settings.

I went to my local small supermarket this morning. Got half way there and realised I didn’t have my mask so walked back home to get it - back to the shop again and I’m the only person wearing a mask. Three staff stocking shelves, no masks. Two on tills, no masks but they do have the plexiglass shields at the tills. About 10 other customers in the shop - no masks. No sanitiser for trollies or baskets.

I felt safer from covid when I was in France where it really was a case of no entry without a mask and until you’d sanitised the trolley and your hands.

@AlecTrevelyan006

You can’t close shops just because someone isn’t wearing a face covering

And six months ago we’d have probably agreed that you can’t shut shops just because a virus is circulating.... but we did. Who’s to say what the Government will do next, but they don’t seem to be going all laissez-faire on stuff!

Shop staff are not required to wear a face covering

This week I have noticed a considerable amount of people not wearing masks. It seems if a few aren't wearing them, others will follow and won't bother either.... and so it goes on. Who is exactly going to police it? The shop staff aren't really wearing them either.