No legal compulsion to wear face masks once restrictions are lifted

[MurdockTheMouse]

Sky News reporting this morning that George Eustice has said with the removal of restrictions on July 19th will also come the removal of legal requirements to wear face coverings. I’m torn on how I feel about this.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-no-legal-compulsion-to-wear-face-masks-when-restrictions-are-lifted-minister-says-12340495

@Viviennemary

Good. I won't be wearing one. I wonder if supermarkets will be allowed to set their own rules.

I think the government will say shops, venues like cinema, gallery, transport providers set their own rules.

@Thewiseoneincognito

So with just under a month to go and infection rates on the rise fairly significantly they are going to remove legal requirement for face masks 🤣 and you all believe this guy?

I would guess from the Environment Secs comments he’s a secret anti masker and probably one of the Covid skeptics using his moment in the spotlight to stir public opinion in such a way the government are going to need to squirm their way out of Freedom day.

Egg on their faces doesn’t come close! Don’t get your hopes up folks.

No, I don't believe him.

@CathyorClaire

Happy to see them go but on the flip side I haven't had a cold since January 2020.

I don't believe the two are unrelated and I'm not looking forward to that first little scratch in the throat that tells me ten days of misery are thundering down the track headed straight at me.

I haven’t had a cold since February last year. I’d happily pay swap having colds again to ditch masks and return to some kind of normal. There’s nothing stopping people still wearing them if they want to.

Good. Wandering around a supermarket at 9 pm at night with no one close to me - what the hell is going to jump out from the aisles?

Virtue signalling look at me, I'm doing my bit.

@NotQuiteUsual

I'll keep a pack of disposable ones for when i have a cough or cold. It just makes sense to not be coughing and sneezing over everyone when sick. But once they're not a requirement they can fuck right off day to day.

I've started to get some health issues which means I can't wear them very long when it's hot, but I feel so flustered and embarrassed taking it off after a while. Makes me feel really nervous when I'm already vulnerable.

Have you - and the other people saying that they'll wear them if they get a cold, it's just common courtesy, etc. - had a heavy cold during the time we've been wearing masks? I have and wearing a mask when you're bunged up and snotty is horrible, and you have to take it off a lot to wipe your nose anyway. I might be underestimating the altruism of the general public but I can't see many people voluntarily wearing a mask when they've got a cold once they've tried it once.

Total stupidity.

The government have access to data from schools. They should compare schools that stopped all mask wearing in May against schools that continued mask wearing. In my town, the data are clear in this respect. These data can be extrapolated to the rest of society.

Oh what a shame. I’ve rather enjoyed them. Hiding my face makes me feel oddly secure.

I'm going to keep mine on inside for a bit longer. But I won't miss the disgusting disposal of them all over the streets.

I find them incredibly hot.
But I’d continue to wear them on public transport if it makes some people feel less nervous and gets them enjoying life again.

@AliceLivesHere

Good. Wandering around a supermarket at 9 pm at night with no one close to me - what the hell is going to jump out from the aisles?

Virtue signalling look at me, I'm doing my bit.

There are a multitude of reasons for people to wear masks, none of which are anything to do with you.

@Chocolatier9a

Oh what a shame. I’ve rather enjoyed them. Hiding my face makes me feel oddly secure.

So keep wearing them

I had to take mine off a few times yesterday as my hayfever is running riot and I got stuck in a long queue in the supermarket. I can't imagine wearing one for a cold.

I can imagine keeping one in my bag in case a colleague close by brings their cold to the office.

I really hope the culture of taking a cold everywhere goes away.

I will love it if this happens. Absolutely love it. An end to the blaming, harassment of people who can't wear them and an end to the sea of almost disembodied eyes that freak me the fuck out. And glasses wearers everywhere will be able to bloody SEE where they're going again.

As for muzzles - my dog wears a muzzle when out (with the prey drive of an ex racing greyhound it's a precaution as she's not got many teeth left to do anything) and it's got a fuck more ventilation than a face mask has!

I’m in a shopping centre on the outskirts of London that between last week and this has removed all the “Wear a mask” signage by the entrances, and as I type an employee is pulling up all the distancing stuff from the floor.

I cant wait! It will be lovely to greet my children with a smile when picking them up from school and nursery.

To be able to hand DD over to a nursery key worker whose facial expressions she can actually see in the mornings.

To be able to give a nervous DS encouragement at swimming rather than having to pantomime a smile with raised eyebrows and a thumbs up. Him actually being able to hear the instructions from the swimming instructor.

So much of our communication is non-verbal and based on facial expressions. It will be lovely to be able to see people's faces again.

Since enquiries about people not wearing masks aren't acceptable (you don't know what disabilities people have) I hope and expect that if people choose to wear them in certain environments and circumstances people will keep their judgements and comments about virtue signalling to themselves.

Why do people call them muzzles? It’s just a face mask.

Probably think it's edgy and witty.

I don't go with the muzzles thing at all myself, but thinking objectively, I do think people have the right to their own peaceful angle and response to government actions and requirements, if they personally believe something to be unreasonable/tyranny/spin/sexing up/doublespeak/ulterior motives or whatever.

There were some DM readers people who ridiculed those describing the 'under-occupancy penalty' as a 'bedroom tax'; also, there are various official 'equality and diversity' umbrella policies which throw women's rights under the bus, and thus those concerned about this refuse to use the official terminology.

As long as people don't break the law, I don't see any issue with them peacefully protesting in their personal interpretation and opinion of government policy, even if the majority disagree and don't see any issues with it. Dial it back far enough and there were people slapping down the women 'going on about' the government lists headed something like 'all eligible voters of sufficient age' which only actually had half of the names on there that they should have done.

Some principles are crucially important, some are frivolous, many are somewhere in between; but people still have a right to hold them, regardless.

Really happy if this turns out to be true!

Can’t wait no more thinking can’t get on a bus forgot my mask and no more not being able to kiss my child without the mask before they go into class

Seems I'm on my own here but I won't be happy if this happens on the 19th July.

I'm in my early 40s, booked my jabs as soon as I was humanly able, but my 2nd one isn't until mid July. Therefore it's probably fair to say that most people younger than me will not be fully vaccinated by 19th July. Figures in my area are on the rise, highest they've been since March.

I think getting rid of masks prematurely could be a disaster, wait until most adults are fully vaccinated at least (September?) I know people hate them but they're better than all the other restrictions.

I’d love this to happen. At work, I suspect that we’ll be wearing them for a while longer. I’d personally like to to keep wearing them in the office as well as the hospital during the cold and flu season, and none of us had colds this winter, and I’d like to keep it that way.
What I’d like to see Is the death of T and T, and the signing into places, to have a coffee or a meal. More than masks, this is my own fervent hope.

If we reopen, we reopen.

Masks confer about 10% reduction in cases (esimates vary) - saved a lot of lives in the last year, but if the plan is to "get on", then they are pointless.

Note, I'm not arguing for what we should be doing - just saying that if we drop other restrictions (social distancing/large gatherings etc) then masks are pointless because they won't stop a new wave of infections if one occurs. There are only 2 possible futures after we reopen:

1. We attain a kind of zero covid, not absolute zero cases of course, but infections are rare and quickly jumped on by local health teams in the same way they do with measles outbreaks. In this eventuality, masks are pointless.
2. Infections rise to a level as we'd get with a common cold during an outbreak - many of the CEV and very old die, but that's OK because we knew that was going to happen and they've been sacrificed for the cause. In this eventuality, masks are pointless too.

The only restrictions that make any sense after "reopening" are international border restrictions to monitor for new variants.

@Sparklingbrook me too! I don't see the point of wearing it at the mo as the flipping mask covers it over. Be great to be able to see happy smiles again xxx

If I don’t have to wear one I won’t , if people want to carry on that’s fine for them too .
I suspect those that like to complain about those wearing a mask or not wearing mask will be upset. what will they complain about then ?.

@Girlmama3

It will be interesting to see what hospitals etc do with regards to wearing them.

I suspect they'll keep them. I remember going to a hospital in Spain years ago and all the staff wore masks.

Face muffle would be a better description, I'm quite deaf and it does make it even harder to hear. I do think the masks and sd have reduced the spread of all viruses, I haven't had a regular cold since the pandemic started.
I don't think there is much point in masks unless the vast majority wear them so once they are not compulsory it would seem pointless to keep wearing them.
I hope, however, they stay on aeroplanes. I never manage to fly without ending up with a cold.

I will double mask, to show I am a good citizen and not a trumper, only trumpers stop wearing masks vaccinated or not.