Sainsbury's and Tesco have joined the bookseller, Waterstones, which has said customers should wear masks to protect staff and other shoppers.

[UndercoverToad]

Good.

@JaniieJones you said, in response to a poster who found smears painful, so much drama. And that they could be 'uncomfortable' in circumstances you decided they might be uncomfortable in. So while you did say smears were uncomfortable, the context in which you said it shows anything but empathy and kindness.

Your flower emojis and 'oh how awful, get some perspective and online therapy' is painfully transparent. Apart from anything, therapy isn't always the answer - it's not a magic bullet.

[quote TheVampiresWife]**@JaniieJones* you said, in response to a poster who found smears painful, so much drama*. And that they could be 'uncomfortable' in circumstances you decided they might be uncomfortable in. So while you did say smears were uncomfortable, the context in which you said it shows anything but empathy and kindness.

Your flower emojis and 'oh how awful, get some perspective and online therapy' is painfully transparent. Apart from anything, therapy isn't always the answer - it's not a magic bullet.[/quote]
Yes, all of this, especially the drama comment.

So, so offensive

I didn't think they had to be anyway in places when people were eating and drinking?

They were required for the long wait in the queue and walking around the store but not from the 19th.

No HCP does a 12 hour shift in "head to toe PPE".

@Jourdain11

No HCP does a 12 hour shift in "head to toe PPE".

Oh I think you'll find 12 hr shifts are the norm in the nhs and if someone works in a covid icu for example they will indeed wear ppe for their shift. Barring breaks obviously. What, do you think they just take it off when they've had enough .

Anyway back to the thread. Let's hope as cases soar and hospitalisations climb busy places will still ask people to be considerate and wear face covers.

Oh, I know that NHS do 12 hour shifts but nobody wears their head-to-toe PPE for 12 hours.

@Jourdain11

Oh, I know that NHS do 12 hour shifts but nobody wears their head-to-toe PPE for 12 hours.

JaniieJones brought up HCPs in PPE for 12 hours to dismiss the real struggles of someone having a panic attack in a mask during a smear test.

Barring breaks obviously

So... Not for 12 hours then.

Ok

And as already mentioned, there's enough empathy to go around. It's not an either we empathise with this person or the other.

We can empathise with both scenarios.

Not that you'd understand, obvs

On topic, I feel it is a bit rubbish that the mask decision for these businesses will have been made by a bunch of non-customer-facing people who won't actually be on the shop floor having to police it.

@amission

Barring breaks obviously

So... Not for 12 hours then.

Ok

And as already mentioned, there's enough empathy to go around. It's not an either we empathise with this person or the other.

We can empathise with both scenarios.

Not that you'd understand, obvs

Barring breaks and barring the fact that it has to be donned and doffed at reasonably regular intervals so that it doesn't become contaminated.

'On topic, I feel it is a bit rubbish that the mask decision for these businesses will have been made by a bunch of non-customer-facing people who won't actually be on the shop floor having to police it'

Exactly. The staff put at risk face to face with customers without face covers should get to decide. Have a vote or something.

'Barring breaks and barring the fact that it has to be donned and doffed at reasonably regular intervals so that it doesn't become contaminated.'

They still wear ppe for the majority of their 12 hr shift no matter how much donning and doffing they do. I bet most of them haven't exactly had much in the way of breaks either. Still, nevermind that. Back to thin face covers for a 15 min shop.

@JaniieJones

'Barring breaks and barring the fact that it has to be donned and doffed at reasonably regular intervals so that it doesn't become contaminated.'

They still wear ppe for the majority of their 12 hr shift no matter how much donning and doffing they do. I bet most of them haven't exactly had much in the way of breaks either. Still, nevermind that. Back to thin face covers for a 15 min shop.

You used this as a fact to beat people who have panic attacks over the head.

You've lost any tenuous high ground you may have held.

Give it up.

The thread wouldn't have been focusing on smear tests if it hadn't been derailed.

I know right? Welcome to my world!

Common sense and possibly as much for marketing as for mutual safety. Only issue is that there is much performative flash entry masking and then auto chin support manoeuvre or just many now wearing a fake floral lanyard and “ID” disability card instead. Or of course there is the increasing number who never worn a mask and never will and if asked by security will say those magical non Covid secure words - “I’m exempt.” Not exempt from ever contagious infections nor being a more likely super spreader. It makes a mockery to gaslight those rare minority legitimately diagnosed by relevant medical specialist as truly exempt from any face visor or covering due to a rare disability. Superficial performative masking is another vector for indoor crowded Covid super spreading when Covid status is untested.

The cynic in me just thinks they can't be arsed to take the "wear a mask" signs down.

@Jourdain11

On topic, I feel it is a bit rubbish that the mask decision for these businesses will have been made by a bunch of non-customer-facing people who won't actually be on the shop floor having to police it.

Or be fair, they have said the staff won’t police it. Which I think is reasonable, it’s not fair to expect staff to go around enforcing masks given the grief they’ll get from some people.

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

Common sense and possibly as much for marketing as for mutual safety. Only issue is that there is much performative flash entry masking and then auto chin support manoeuvre or just many now wearing a fake floral lanyard and “ID” disability card instead. Or of course there is the increasing number who never worn a mask and never will and if asked by security will say those magical non Covid secure words - “I’m exempt.” Not exempt from ever contagious infections nor being a more likely super spreader. It makes a mockery to gaslight those rare minority legitimately diagnosed by relevant medical specialist as truly exempt from any face visor or covering due to a rare disability. Superficial performative masking is another vector for indoor crowded Covid super spreading when Covid status is untested.

There's no such thing as being 'legitimately diagnosed exempt by a medical specialist'. And exemption isn't only about 'rare disabilities' - lots of exempt people aren't disabled at all. Neither is there such a thing as a 'fake floral lanyard', because there's no such thing as a 'genuine' one.

It would really help if people understood what they're talking about before they shared their (often ignorant, nasty) opinions.

(Also being doubly vaccinated cuts your risk of being a 'superspreader' by up to 85%, fyi.)

@XenoBitch

The cynic in me just thinks they can't be arsed to take the "wear a mask" signs down.

Think you've got the nail on the head here

'The cynic in me just thinks they can't be arsed to take the "wear a mask" signs down'

'Can't be arsed to take tgh signs down'. Seriously.

Perhaps, just perhaps they are watching the news and seeing 50k new cases now with increased hospitalisations and just hope responsible and considerate people will continue to use face covers in busy indoor areas?!

News just said new cases almost exclusively from the unvaccinated

So no, still not wearing masks. A colleague is horrified because her parents have been shielding and she's terrified we will pass covid her way..... parents are CEV but vaccinated

Masks signs don't come down but change to new wording on Monday

Maybe places don't have the staff to go round taking signs down

Every workplace is struggling with staff isolating and nobody wants any overtime!

The covid protocol for my office building will not be changing and neither will my risk assessment for my own work area which will have mitigation measures in place. Mask wearing is requested in the office building unless exempt and in my room has always been a matter of choice.

Asda as well I think