[England] People ‘expected’ to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces after 19 July

[DumplingsAndStew]

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/face-mask-nadhim-zahawi-covid-b1882018.html

New guidance will be issued by the government telling the public they are “expected” to wearface coveringsin indoor enclosed places, the vaccines minister has said.

Nadhim Zahawialso said he was “confident” the government would ease almost all legal restrictions on 19 July — despite surging cases of the virus and concerns expressed by scientists.

Speaking onSky News, he said: “It’s important we remain cautious and careful. The guidelines that we’ll set out tomorrow will demonstrate that, including guidelines that people are expected to wear a mask in indoor enclosed spaces, and of course remain vigilant.”

While the guidance will not be legally binding, his remarks appear to be a shift in stance fromBoris Johnson’s comments just last week, whosaid people “might choose” to follow the guidancein areas where cases are on the rise and in enclosed spaces, such as public transport at peak hours.

I think it’s fine to wear masks permanently.

Permanently what the actual.

I think masks should be enforce in communal areas like buses, doctors surgeries etc it’s a minor inconvenience which could potentially save lives.
To be honest I’ll do anything to reduce the risk of us going into another lockdown.

@PRabbit

That's really dangerous wanting a changed world I don’t want it. But it’s already happened and I don’t know why people are still pretending it hasn’t.

The Roaring Twenties started only a couple of years after a far far deadlier pandemic than this one. One which actually posed a real danger to young and middle aged healthy people and children.

Of course we're not going to wear masks forever.

@Stuffin

I won't be wearing a mask on the 19th.

Any business that mandates it will just be avoided. Really if pubs, restaurants or shops want to keep restrictions including masks then fine as I am sure there will be enough that don't.

And I'll be doing the exact opposite, avoiding businesses that don't encourage mask wearing.

@Againstmachine

I haven't it's how long do we continue, I wear masks but when I don't have to I won't , it isn't my job to protect everyone, that's their job to look after their selves.

The "no such thing as society" response.

And it's really disturbing how binary people on this forum (and on the internet generally. Not so much in real life, thank fuck). Someone expresses doubt about the magic properties of a bit of cloth over their face means they refuse to exercise a single bit of caution and don't care about anyone else, and is responsible for the policies the government has enacted in tackling the epidemic. Apparently

The "no such thing as society" response.

Society only works when it wants something, most of time society doesn't give a shit about me or you, only when it wants something from you.

Last year it was stated that masks did not stop the spread. Have you all forgotten this?

The Roaring Twenties is a myth, it sort of happened in a few American cities. Happened Nowhere else. The Long View had a whole programme about the myths & the facts. 1920s in Britain were tough -- General Strike, anyone?

kind of ditto the Great Depression -- localised & specific to some parts of one country, not whole world thing.

@Im2sexyforthissite

Last year it was stated that masks did not stop the spread. Have you all forgotten this?

People clearly need something to focus on. Masks are handy because they're a visible indication of the Moral and the Immoral - even cloth masks with pretty patterns which are obviously of no use whatsoever. They can direct their anger and powerlessness about the situation on such visible indicators. It's easier than admitting we're all mortal and we can't control it.

They might have a point about their faith in masks if we were all required to wear FFP2 or FFP3 masks, though even in Bavaria where the former have been required, guess what. There's still Covid.

@lljkk

The Roaring Twenties is a myth, it sort of happened in a few American cities. Happened Nowhere else. The Long View had a whole programme about the myths & the facts. 1920s in Britain were tough -- General Strike, anyone?

kind of ditto the Great Depression -- localised & specific to some parts of one country, not whole world thing.

Yes point taken.

However people didn't cower in fear about a virus for ever more. Real life took over again pretty quickly, grim as it was.

@PRabbit

They’re a permanent fixture in Asian countries. I think it’s fine to wear masks permanently.

No they're not. This myth has really taken root over the past year but a myth is all it is.

Some people there choose to wear a mask to protect against pollution. It's a courtesy to wear one indoors if you have a cold/flu. Personally I think a far more effective method of disease control would be to end the culture of presenteeism whereby you're obliged to come into work even when you're ill and your work can be done from home.

The idea of wearing masks permanently is ludicrous. If you wish to, fill your boots, but don't expect others to still be wearing one in, say, five years time. Or even two years. Or even past next Monday, for some.

The Roaring Twenties is a myth"

As is the war time spirit, they was a load of Rubbish too, lots of money laundering and black market going on.

Some People like to point at "Roaring 1920s" as some kind of proof that "we will recover just fine, too"

Death was much more ordinary back then (< 1950).

We almost fetishise death now. In it's own special hallowed place that must not be visited at any cost. In medival times, death wasn't so important because it was inevitable, saving souls not lives was the big hallowed objective.

Easy way for me to get flamed is to point out that death rates in Britain are currently below the long term averages -- why? Because covid took so many people who were otherwise going to die in 2021 for other reasons. And yet some people still want tight protections rather than getting to live now.

*We almost fetishise death now. In it's own special hallowed place that must not be visited at any cost. In medival times, death wasn't so important because it was inevitable, saving souls not lives was the big hallowed objective."

I agree it's shocking people die these days especially in their 80s

That's problem I don't think people realise people actually die.

Last year it was stated that masks did not stop the spread. Have you all forgotten this?

Masks alone can’t stop the spread. We still need to wear them correctly, wash our hands, socially distance etc but they of course do help to slow the spread.
I feel like in a couple of months time we should get rid of masks but we are not quite there yet and that the government is just planning to do what we did last year and lock it down again after the summer.

@HesterShaw1 - you have no empathy for people with genuine anxiety. And it doesn't have an impact on you. Those people who wear masks everywhere are not those dropping them, clearly. Both things can't be true. Also a large percentage of mask wearers wear reusable masks.

[quote TheVampiresWife]@swimlyn

You said

I have always felt from Day One of this breaking out that anyone coming near to you without a mask, or not wearing their mask correctly, is saying to you: “I do not care at all about you, your family, your friends; you can die or be disabled and I don’t care”

I'm referring to the part where you stated anyone coming near to you without a mask and went on to say how they didn't care.

And my response was, some of those people will be disabled/have health conditions already.

You cannot claim to know the medical history of strangers, whatever you think you know about your friends (many people do not divulge their health conditions to even those they're closest to, as is their right).

Best not to make sweeping judgements and assumptions, really. Whether friends or strangers.[/quote]
@TheVampiresWife

Surely it's not unreasonable to say they should distance if no mask, whatever the reason.

Oh, and I say "read every word" and you extract one paragraph without the relevant detail.

Well done!

,I feel like in a couple of months time we should get rid of masks but we are not quite there yet

This couple of months never ends does it

@PRabbit

They’re a permanent fixture in Asian countries. I think it’s fine to wear masks permanently.

Crack on

[quote luckylavender]@HesterShaw1 - you have no empathy for people with genuine anxiety. And it doesn't have an impact on you. Those people who wear masks everywhere are not those dropping them, clearly. Both things can't be true. Also a large percentage of mask wearers wear reusable masks.[/quote]
Anxiety which is often to a large degree is being driven by what they see around them, and what they read on social media.

That is undeniable.

I am being accused of "judging" and "lacking empathy" when for the last year people have been hounded, abused and insulted both in real life and on social media for not wearing masks. These people include those with anxiety about wearing masks due to awful past experiences, for example.

Parents on MN who have been worried sick about their children not coping with home "learning", whose children have become so anxious and out of control about the virus that they have started self harming or have developed an eating disorder, have been accused of lacking resilience and of being selfish.

The hypocrisy displayed here is mind boggling.

So you will not make me feel guilty for thinking to myself "that person lacks critical thinking" when I see someone on a walk on their own on the prom wearing a mask.

(I have worn the damn things when I've been legally required to, by the way, simply because I can't be arsed to deal with the alternative. However that's going to stop on the 19th)

COVID-19: Do face masks work? Here is what scientific studies say
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that wearing a mask reduced transmissions of COVID-19. Here are the studies that prove it.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-what-does-the-science-actually-say-about-face-masks-12349337

This couple of months never ends does it

Why not just wait until the majority are vaccinated. Surely most people have had their first jab so it would only be a couple of months until they get their second.

"Lots of people (those who choose not to wear them, not those who can't) who show the lack of empathy for others."

Some of us have been stuck indoor for most of the year in large groups and no social distancing, and for most of the time without the protection of vaccines

Practically Everyone I work with has had covid. Most posters on here said get on with it like people in shops bus drivers etc.

I'm undecided to whether I'll wear in masks from now on because I've had to get used to the idea that I can expect to catch covid multiple times. Maybe people in shops, bused trams etc should get on with it and get comfortable with risks many us of have have been subjected to for months.

The government does not care if you get infected and it's probably best to get it / get it again before immunity wanes

@toocold54

This couple of months never ends does it

Why not just wait until the majority are vaccinated. Surely most people have had their first jab so it would only be a couple of months until they get their second.

Because then it will be something else. We will be in September when the entirely predictable and annual rise of back to school/college respiratory infections happens. And then it will be just another couple of months, just wait until boosters, just wait until spring....again.