Masks to be Mandatory in Scotland until at least next Spring

[Ginandfantalemon]

Just read this and wondered what others in Scotland are thinking.
The article states that Scotland will stick to the strictest rules in the UK and it is hoped that voluntary mask wearing, as in Asian Countries, will be a measure that is adopted. I truly don't know if I can go on anymore. I haven't been out for over a year because of these bloody rules and this is just enough now.

@TheGenealogist No, face mask use isn’t mandatory outside in Scotland.

Yes I know... given that I live here too.

Who's talking about masks outside?

@ TheGenealogist I am. I choose to wear a mask outside when talking to other people, to protect my family. That’s what I wrote in my post.

@spinachandchickpea

Is your plan to wear a mask forever then?

@GallowwayGirl88 Here’s what I initially wrote: I choose to wear a mask because though I’m double vaxxed and so is all my adult family, my dad is in his early 80s with pretty advanced dementia and lives at home with my mum who’s almost 80. It’s a fragile situation there and we look after my dad at weekends to give my mum a break. So I don’t appreciate eg a taxi driver coming to the door this week and leaning into the house chatting without a mask on. Simple precautions might mean dad can stay at home longer. I’m not asking everyone to wear a mask; I’m asking that if you talk to me or my family you wear a mask. I don’t talk to people outside the family without a mask because of my parents’ situation.

So, I’ll wear a mask when talking to others even outside as long as my parents’ situation is fragile and I’m involved regularly in their care, and there’s plenty of this virus going around. Then after that, I guess this situation with my parents and the pandemic has made me (I hope) more sensitive than I was to vulnerable people’s needs. To be honest I don’t get why anyone is against anyone else choosing to wear a mask. For hard of hearing or deaf people I take it off but either distance more or write it down on my phone. I know I perhaps come across as covid paranoid, but for me the mask wearing is no big deal to choose to wear and I want to give my dad the best chance of staying home for longer. If someone starts spluttering near me I’d rather have mouth and nose covered just now. I went into town yesterday, walked rather than took the bus, and wore a mask in busy outside areas. Really can’t see why that should bother anyone.

@spinachandchickpea
You do you.

I just think (in general) normalising this behaviour can be somewhat dangerous. Facial expression is part of communication, young children are beginning to struggle to identify emotions & form bonds, elderly individuals with mental disorders also struggle when faces are covered. There’s a bunch of evidence of this, not specific to covid necessarily but to facial recognition, understanding emotions, etc .

But, I appreciate where you are coming from and I respect your decisions. I hope that you do not feel the need to wear a mask for much longer.

I just think (in general) normalising this behaviour can be somewhat dangerous. Facial expression is part of communication, young children are beginning to struggle to identify emotions & form bonds, elderly individuals with mental disorders also struggle when faces are covered. There’s a bunch of evidence of this, not specific to covid necessarily but to facial recognition, understanding emotions, etc

There is some truth behind what your saying but I’ve yet to see evidence of this from countries where face coverings are worn in public regularly for cultural/religious reasons. Face coverings weren’t invented just for this pandemic, there’s a very long history to draw evidence from.

I’m not saying that people don’t encounter difficulties with them, but I think it’s an exaggeration to extrapolate to the degree above.

@spinachandchickpea

I choose to wear a mask because though I’m double vaxxed and so is all my adult family, my dad is in his early 80s with pretty advanced dementia and lives at home with my mum who’s almost 80. It’s a fragile situation there and we look after my dad at weekends to give my mum a break. So I don’t appreciate eg a taxi driver coming to the door this week and leaning into the house chatting without a mask on. Simple precautions might mean dad can stay at home longer. I’m not asking everyone to wear a mask; I’m asking that if you talk to me or my family you wear a mask. I don’t talk to people outside the family without a mask because of my parents’ situation. Yes covid will always be around, but for me wearing a mask is like making sure my parents get their flu shot. It’s a fragile situation for them so I want to give them the best odds of keeping dad at home for longer. Maybe there’s a lanyard could be created that means please wear a mask if you talk to me. Yes there is no end date to that as covid is here to stay, but I think that would respect everyone’s needs.

I think this is a fine line. I don't think you can expect people to wear a mask where its not required. And I think we all need to learn to live with this a bit more and that means making sensible decisions but also respecting that others may not make the same decisions. It doesn't make you right and them wrong.

I do understand your worries regarding your dad. Your situation is far from unique. I do think the biggest risk to your dad and him not being able to stay at home is not the virus itself. It's the lack of day centres, the lack of groups etc and the fact the Scottish Govt have prioritised Covid over everything else in their aim for elimination. The lack of support that was all in place before the pandemic that may impact your dad and how long he can stay at home.

That said, I do totally understand how scary it is that he or your mum could get Covid. Thousands of us live with that fear.

OP can you wear a face shield?

Nobody is going to bat an eyelid at you walking into a shop to buy a pint of milk with no mask on

@XDownwiththissortofthingX where have you been living? There’s been people spitting vitriol at others not wearing masks for the last 18 months. There’s been public shaming, people shouting abuse at others on the streets, articles published about how people who don’t wear masks are more likely to have “psychotic” traits..