Face Coverings Compulsory

I have been wearing a mask in the supermarket for some weeks now. Not sure of its benefit - I would not be going if I had any sort of cold, etc. Wear one as I feel it may reassure some other shoppers there at the same time as me.

However, do think masks are very anti-social. Cannot smile at anyone and know it is impossible to lip-read with them on, and do wonder how asthma (and hay fever) sufferers cope with them.

I have looked to purchasing one of those clear face visors o use instead of masks. Not too expensive on line and they are washable, etc. Just wondered if anyone would know if these would count as acceptable anywhere that says masks MUST be worn.

Isn't the 2 week delay due to the non essential shops opening on the same date?

Public transport in my area just isn't being used at all. I regularly see trains with nobody in them at present

I'm just guessing that they are expecting a lot more people to be out and about from the 15th onwards

Haven't most things been a tad too late in this crisis in the UK?

Again something which has had conflicting advice. From all I’ve read face masks are best at stopping a person from spreading the virus rather than from receiving it. But if we all wore them it would work in that case. However the ones the public are wearing are not as good as the ones used in icu’s. I have seen plastic visors covering the whole face which seem like a good idea to wear over a face mask for increased protection.

Compulsory in two weeks as people need to source them. Found it strange that supermarket staff don't wear them, OK we know that they get uncomfortable, steam up glasses etc. They said some people with medical conditions will be exempted. Abroad they even wear them outdoors!

Never too late!
Around the end of February when the talk about Covid19 started to get more frequent I bought a pack of N95 masks.
As it became more serious I took the decision to self isolate.
I never believed what we were being fed about masks being ineffective, as far as I'm concerned any face covering is better than nothing. I have underlying conditions that would make it very serious for me to catch Covid.
The only time I've left my home in over three months is for my monthly eye injection, and that's when I've worn mask and latex gloves that I already had for food preparation.
I've always believed that our being told not to wear masks was to reserve stocks for the NHS, agree with that but since when did the NHSnhs get their equipment from Amazon or EBay?
Our government has dragged its feet on many issues to do with Covid. Allowing planes loads of people in from all corners of the earth for instance.
I could go on but it's time for my Tai Chi class on Zoom.

All reactions to this virus seem to be set on a minimum 2wk delay here!

Imagine how much easier and more effective it would have been to have track & trace when there were only a few cases at the beginning.

I think I have seen that there will be exceptions, and asthma sufferers will be within that. However, how many people with asthma will be denied travel, because they are not wearing a face covering? Also, it doesn't have to be a mask. As long as your mouth and nose are covered, it can be a scarf etc

I think this decision has been delayed to avoid the public buying stock that would otherwise have gone to the NHS or carers.

Those who think it a good idea have been wearing face coverings already.
I’m glad it’s going to be compulsory.
I expect the fines will be imposed on those who create riots at stations and bus stops by refusing to wear masks and demanding to be allowed on, or think it clever to wear it to get on, then immediately remove it because you can’t tell them what to do!
Shall we wait for media posts with pictures and video clips?
It’s no good telling UK folk what they need to do-those that want to, do it and those that think they know better don’t.
Think paths to the beaches where the path to get on or off isn’t two metres wide- Oh but folk can spread out when they get there so that’s OK.
Think back to the healthy school meals plan-and those parents standing outside school gates with fish and chips, or the “I don’t see why my child was sent home from school just because he had Man United dyed into his crew cut even though it’s against school rules.”
I’m not a fan of this government, but what makes it harder is the reaction of parts of the population. We’ve seen lots of examples written about on here since lockdown.

I wonder how school buses will cope if / when secondary children go back. Also,about 100 girls make the one stop journey by train to the local girls' school in our town. Mask or not, they all come pouring off the train. No chance of social distancing here.

I read too that wearing a mask has its disadvantages in that people become a litte less careful about face touching because they are wearing one, and also adjusting the mask means more face touching. Our local pharmacy staff all have the clear plastic face shields which seem to be an excellent idea - eyes covered too! However, just think how dramatically cases of the common cold will be reduced thanks to masks and hand washing!

More and more people are out and about as they mistakenly seem to think the virus has gone. Also more people have to go back to work so l think its a sensible move. Surely we don't have to be told to wear a face mask. If we feel its right....do it anyway

I found the steamed up glasses a pest. And of course the temptation to clear them adds to the risk as we’re advised don’t put hand near face.

I’ve almost overcome the steamed up specs problem in recent days by wearing them on the tip of my nose.

Also your glasses steam up if you wear a mask. As a glasses wearing asthmatic I struggle if I try to protect myself from compost by wearing a mask.

Asthma sufferers may be unable to wear masks. I have lung problems but have no intention of going out in public so am more fortunate than those who have to go to work.

I found the 2 week delay baffling. But a friend suggested it can’t be made compulsory till the law is in place and that can’t be done immediately . I’ve no idea if that’s factual.

Why are all the measures “after two weeks” or “. By the end of the month”??

Face masks on public transports seems OK to me. It'll be a long time before I use the buses again though.
In supermarkets I'm not so sure about compulsory mask use. None of the staff wear them which I thought was interesting. Only 30 customers allowed in at a time and clear floor markings to ensure social distancing. A nice member of staff disinfects each trolley before a new customer uses it.

Apart from everything already being decided months too late, I personally can't understand why the delay .. do they think that during the next 2 weeks people are going to be safe from the virus, so it's OK to wait until a later date to enforce this rule? Why can't they say it's compulsory with immediate effect?! Absolutely ridiculous!

I have trouble seeing any logic in the delay.
If it helps, it helps, so surely best to do it straight away?

Why wait another 2 weeks? Looks like the U.K. trying to be world beaters in doing everything weeks after everywhere else. Might as well let a few more die.....

even now where some buses you swipe an oyster right near the driver not everyone wears a mask

Well they will have to now Jishere

To be fair, in an attempt to reduce the risk to drivers TFL suspended charges for bus travel so nobody had to swipe anything and passengers were also instructed to use the middle door only.

Well, I can't help thinking that it may have made a tiny difference to the few users all this time, but it was more or less denied.

See, I just can't stop myself.

So alone in the uk we don’t have to don a mask!