How compliant have people been with covid rules/masks etc. in Belfast and NI?

[excelsior2021]

Hello,

can some locals tell me how compliant people in Belfast and NI more generally have been with the covid rules? Have shops been strict on masks? Are there lots of people walking about outside still with a mask on? Has compliance differed by areas/class/town etc?

Just looking for some practical info, NOT a debate about pro/anti-lockdown, masks etc.

thanks.

Ballymena has plenty of masks in shops

I think it has varied, but generally people seem to be complying fairly well. I was in Forestside shopping centre yesterday and most people had masks on and were using the hand gel etc. Was also on the train, and again most people had masks.

In more local shops there are maybe more people without masks, but it's still a fairly small minority (plus, I guess people who are exempt from mask wearing due to an underlying condition are maybe shopping local rather than travelling to bigger centres?).

I haven't noticed any shops going out of their way to enforce the rules; they all have signs up etc, but in general people seem to be fairly willing to comply.

I’ve been in NI (including Belfast) twice since pandemic started - both time seems to be much less mask compliance than London. Last visit was in June, and there did seem to be more people wearing masks than when I was there in late 2020. Other friends who have visited from other parts of England said the same. Hope this helps

I work in the city centre - I still see a lot of people wearing masks. Not so much outside but inside most shops.

Ok thanks, sounds good to me (happy if others want to mask up but don't want to be forced to the same).