Why are Sainsbury's (and others) asking for continued mask wearing?

[jowly]

To keep their staff well? ( many don't wear one even now)

To give customers a sense of security?

I'm very willing to wear one if there's a reasonable reason to.. and I get all the theories why we may be wise to. But why are supermarkets going for this request? Why is it in their interest?

Am I missing the obvious?

Those links are long and I skipped through

It seems to be a while back

‘When used in conjunction with widespread testing, contact tracing, quarantining of anyone that may be infected, hand washing, and physical distancing, face masks are a valuable tool to reduce community transmission. All of these measures, through their effect on Re
, have the potential to reduce the number of infections. As governments exit lockdowns, keeping transmissions low enough to preserve health care capacity will be critical until a vaccine can be developed.’

Cases haven’t reduced for omicron in the way they did with same measures pre vaccine. The biggest impact on reduction is reaching peak and passing it.

This was interesting too re other settings

‘The impact of using masks to control transmission in the workplace has not been well studied. One issue that impacts both school and work usage is that, over a full day’s use, masks may become wet, or dirty. A study of mask use in health care settings found that “respiratory pathogens on the outer surface of the used medical masks may result in self-contamination,” and noted that “the risk is higher with longer duration of mask use (>6h) and with higher rates of clinical contact” (137). Further research is needed to clarify these issues.‘

@ClaudiaWankleman

I’m not sure why the mitigation measure with the greatest efficacy would suddenly become completely useless as opposed to just reducing it’s efficacy.

It would seem, by the rapid growth and peak we had, that their efficacy wasn't useful at all.

If a peak is a natural point at which the number of people infected won't increase anymore, then it was reached so quickly that masks made next to no difference in the growth rate. What was their use if they couldn't slow down growth before infection rates naturally peaked?

Firstly, I’m not convinced infections did naturally peak. If they have we won’t see them start to rise in the next week. Secondly, see my point about the English masking laws being shit and generally poorly adhered too because people know they are unlikely to be challenged.

And you can’t really just look at whether masking laws are in place how many cases there are decide masks don’t work. That doesn’t tell you anything. You need to know where those people caught covid and whether they were wearing masks at the time. E.h. If it’s mostly primary kids passing it to family members then using that to decide masks don’t work is useless because nobody’s wearing masks in either of those situations. Ditto workplaces, because as far as I’m aware the government hasn’t mandated masks in all indoor workplaces in England.

To me it just seems like a covering their arse sort of thing.

Obviously (or, cynically) Sainsbury is mandating wearing them for financial/pr reasons but that doesn't detract from the fact that masks have benefits in reducing viral spread.

I'll people stop saying Sainsbury's are mandating them, they haven't announced no such thing, they are asking/encouraging people to wear one, same as buses, trains ect outside london aren't mandating them.

Yeah, whatever else this might be it's very clearly not a mandate.

They are requesting it not enforcing it, which is up to them, it's their business.

I think its a good idea to continue wearing maks if you're unnvacinated.

Firstly, I’m not convinced infections did naturally peak.

What do you think caused the peak and decline if not a natural cycle? I can't think of any changes, significant or not, in our behaviour that would have caused that.

There are whole nations still requiring masks - Scotland, Wales, NI and the London Underground

Is it such a big deal that a super make wants them too?

ClaudiaWankleman

The vaccine boosters?

The wording does matter, it creates different meanings so the point doesn't stand.

And no I don't think I will.

@shrodingersvaccine

I mean, whether the word mandate is correct or not the point still stands. Sainsburys are requesting/encouraging/enforcing/asking for mask usage for financial/PR reasons. Masks work regardless of why they're doing so, so wear them anyway.

Enforcing doesn’t fit but they are requesting it

Not everyone will think ok which is up to them

@RichTeaRichTea

It’s sort of funny how for some people when the PM makes a decision they don’t agree with then he must be doing it for the wrong reasons and when a national supermarket makes a decision they agree with it must be doing it for the right reasons!

I don’t for a moment believe either decision has been made for any reason other than self-serving ones

Funny isn't it! I laughed at the post upthread where someone suggested that Sainsburys were "listening to the world health organisation". Do people really think that?!

@nocoolnamesleft

We're still in a pandemic. I presume they've twigged that Boris is lifting the mask mandate well before the scientific evidence would suggest it, because he's more interested in saving his politic career than saving lives.

Pragmatically, they'd like the clinically vulnerable to still feel able to come and spend money. And they'd like enough staff to be able to work to be able to sell stuff.

All of this.

I am glad they are recommending continued mask wearing. Unfortunately they won't enforce it because it would not be fair to expect their staff to deal with the "I'm not wearing a FACE NAPPY" brigade.

Has anyone been in Sainsburies today? Did people wear masks?

@Flaxmeadow

It's too short a turnaround time, isn't it? They occur basically simultaneously.

Just got back from Sainsbury’s. Signage saying please wear a face covering if you can. Maybe 80% of customers still had them and well under half of staff without.

@shrodingersvaccine

I mean, whether the word mandate is correct or not the point still stands. Sainsburys are requesting/encouraging/enforcing/asking for mask usage for financial/PR reasons. Masks work regardless of why they're doing so, so wear them anyway.

They can request or mandate all they like, but won't enforce. How do sainsburys employees know that non mask wearers are executed or not? As its no longer a legal mandate/requirement to wear masks, the sane applies to lanyards and exemption cards. If an employee of sainsburys questions as to why someone is not wearing one, and doing so without a government support policy and the fact rhat they are not qualified or in a position of authority to do so.... then that employee or sainsburys may well just find themselves in a lot of trouble as well as lack of trade and bad publicity.

By the way, been into sainsburys this morning, didn't wear a piece of cloth on my face, say it was 50/50 of customers wearing them and vast majority of staff not.

*exempt, not executed 🤣🤣

@2X4B523P

Just got back from Sainsbury’s. Signage saying please wear a face covering if you can. Maybe 80% of customers still had them and well under half of staff without.

"If you can", I couldn't as don't have one 🤷‍♂️

All of this.

I am glad they are recommending continued mask wearing. Unfortunately they won't enforce it because it would not be fair to expect their staff to deal with the "I'm not wearing a FACE NAPPY" brigade.

I'm in that "brigade", and yes, if I was challenged but an employee from sainsburys, then my response would be a short mind your own God damn business type....

How do sainsburys employees know that non mask wearers are executed or not?

Bit extreme

There are a lot of MN users who'll still be wearing their masks in 10 years time.

You know, just in case.