Mask wearing where you live?

[julieca]

Went to the supermarket today which was busy and only a few people were wearing masks. Nearly everyone was not. I have noticed over the last few months the amount of mask-wearing going down, and now very few people wear masks outside of the GPs surgery 9where they are still compulsory).
So are people wearing masks where you live, or have they mainly given up?

Mask wearing is not common where I am and we have high rates of covid. I know so many people who have had it in the last month. And boosters are hard to book here. Been trying for the last few days and all I get offered is two appointment in the middle of Wednesday miles away. And while I am seeing if I can juggle things at work to attend it gets booked and there is nothing. Happened a few times.

[quote shouldistop]@isthismylifenow out of interest, how many tests are being done in South Africa? Is there any asymptomatic testing happening?[/quote]
The only time we would test if asymptomatic would be due to travel requirements, admission to hospital etc. Or if an employer has requested a test.

We can do the antigen test, but it's not free hence why it's not done so frequently.

I did just check our stats for yesterday, let's hope they stay low, there were 7 deaths countrywide.

Lots of people still wearing masks where I am.
Ds still has to wear one between lessons and on the school bus.
Both Dh and I have to wear them at work. None of us mind.

Guess the mask wearers were all at home looking for neighbours to report for putting their bins out too early as parking an inch on a yellow line

In my case I was probably at work looking after sick people, maybe your friends and relatives. I don’t care if you wear a mask or not but don’t judge me for wearing one.

I'm in Essex. Mask wearing is tailing off a lot here, which I like to see.

I wear my mask in medical settings only now.

My mother lives in the Midlands and it is much less there too now. Even on the train to go and visit her, many people no longer wear masks, myself included. I prefer being able to breathe clearly.

At our local museum today quite high take up again

It is variable but seems high enough atm

I'm in the West Country, where the rates have been pretty high recently. Went to a posh craft/vintage fair a few days ago (held in a village hall) and absolutely no-one including stall holders was wearing masks - no signs of mitigation such as open doors or anything. Went from there to a garden centre where practically everyone was, even in the outside bits. And in Lidl last night, I'd say it was 50:50. So, no discernable pattern to it at all..

Pretty crap here. And now we're in an enhanced zone in terms of schools.

@EileenGC
That isn’t true of Germany which had 50k cases the other day in a population of 83m. The UK hasn’t had a significantly worse rate than that recently. The growth in cases in Germany has also been very fast despite ffp2 masks.

I’m not making things up, Germany’s current incidence per 100,000 is 289. The UK stands at 348.7 right now.

Sure, Germany’s will still go up a bit now before it goes back down, but the UK’s national incidence was close to 500 just a few weeks ago. The UK’s is currently going down slightly but it was much worse in October. If you looked at the incidence maps there would be entire regions in dark purple (400+ per 100k).

The increase in Germany seems steep because up until last week, we were having 10k or less cases a day. The UK has had around 30k daily since July.

Neither situation is great, but I don’t think aiming for a steady 30k cases each day over 4 months is something to aim for. And the UK has a smaller population as well.

Each country is developing at a different pace.

It’s a different approach but I’d prefer not to trigger restrictions so if we keep steady we might avoid them over winter, which would be a relief.

July peak was to avoid winter peak

We have fewer restrictions than most places already so some room with plan b before anything too bad.

First day out of isolation for me. I'm still coughing, so is partner. We've been to a garden centre, a pub for lunch.. not one mask seen apart from us.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

First day out of isolation for me. I'm still coughing, so is partner. We've been to a garden centre, a pub for lunch.. not one mask seen apart from us.

This is the type of post that just makes me laugh- you’re still coughing and yet you had your masks on, so that’s ok then? I’d prefer to be hanging out with the unmasked folk in the pub and garden centre.

Just been to The Range and Lidl in Sussex, hardly anyone apart from me wearing a mask.

I actually like a mask, i dont need make up!!

@OnceUponAWhine would you rather the pp coughed on you without a mask?? I wouldn’t.

2/3 weeks ago no one was bothering with masks anymore and I kept hearing people say things about “when the pandemic was on.”

Now my local area is in a massive covid surge and at least one local school has half the year isolating at home after positive tests, plus some shops closed cos all the staff have it.

People have got their masks back on now.

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I find the attitude towards masks from what I presume are English people given people are still wearing masks in other parts of the UK so interesting. The idea that you can't be happy and wear a mask, that if you wear one you are terrified of something, that people not wearing a mask are more fun.

It's really fascinating. We all wear masks indoors here(and on the street too lots of times) and still manage to joke and laugh, still manage to smile and be pleasant be to each other. There is something going on in the psyche of the English public that doesn't seem to be there in most other European countries. I wonder if it is connected to the high rates of ill health in the England vs other European countries that made people not be able to wear masks there? There is something causing really negative connotions towards mask wearing which just isn't where I live at all. We all seem able to wear masks and live life too but the two of those things just don't seem to something a lot of the English public can manage to do in tandem.

Still mandatory in Northern Ireland, I'd say i do see less adhering to it but 90% wearing them whilst in shop etc

@Mynameismargot

I find the attitude towards masks from what I presume are English people given people are still wearing masks in other parts of the UK so interesting. The idea that you can't be happy and wear a mask, that if you wear one you are terrified of something, that people not wearing a mask are more fun.

It's really fascinating. We all wear masks indoors here(and on the street too lots of times) and still manage to joke and laugh, still manage to smile and be pleasant be to each other. There is something going on in the psyche of the English public that doesn't seem to be there in most other European countries. I wonder if it is connected to the high rates of ill health in the England vs other European countries that made people not be able to wear masks there? There is something causing really negative connotions towards mask wearing which just isn't where I live at all. We all seem able to wear masks and live life too but the two of those things just don't seem to something a lot of the English public can manage to do in tandem.

I do mostly wear one and am doing stuff of course

But I will welcome the back of them. I don’t find them that pleasant and I’m glad dc don’t wear them in the classroom.

@OnceUponAWhine you're easily amused.

I’d say about 20% are wearing masks here in shops. The possibility of them needing to be worn again in school has been mentioned in assembly to my youngest child. I wear one as I’m not vaccinated, I hardly notice I’m wearing one now I’m so used to it.

Still compulsory in shops in Ireland. Which I am happy about.

Pleased to hear about the attitide in South Africa, my elderly parents live here.

It's amazing how many on here like there being no exemptions in other countries, like that is something to aspire to, it isn't it's foul and disgusting the anti disability sentiment.

Just out of interest, why has Germany had such a surge in cases recently? I mean, if there’s 100% compliance with mask wearing and vaccination rates are good. Genuinely interested to know the cause being reported by German govt/media, not being goady.

@Mynameismargot

I find the attitude towards masks from what I presume are English people given people are still wearing masks in other parts of the UK so interesting. The idea that you can't be happy and wear a mask, that if you wear one you are terrified of something, that people not wearing a mask are more fun.

It's really fascinating. We all wear masks indoors here(and on the street too lots of times) and still manage to joke and laugh, still manage to smile and be pleasant be to each other. There is something going on in the psyche of the English public that doesn't seem to be there in most other European countries. I wonder if it is connected to the high rates of ill health in the England vs other European countries that made people not be able to wear masks there? There is something causing really negative connotions towards mask wearing which just isn't where I live at all. We all seem able to wear masks and live life too but the two of those things just don't seem to something a lot of the English public can manage to do in tandem.

I agree 100%. Have lived in many countries (all of whom keeping covid rates much lower) and all my friends there think we're bonkers as do I.

I'm much happier wearing a mask knowing I'm protecting both myself and the vulnerable people around me. Also they keep your face warm in winter too!

To be honest I think it's the people in charge setting the tone. See Boris not wearing a mask in a hospital the other day. It was hugely disrespectful of the staff, but he doesn't give a shit and he wants everyone to know that he doesn't respect NHS workers, why else would he do it? It's the equivalent of a middle finger to the NHS.