So masks are to become optional, do you think this is a good idea?

I don’t think there are any plans at the moment to vaccinate children, so they will presumably still be slightly at risk of catching the virus and possibly passing it on.

However we know children have a very tiny risk of becoming seriously ill and day by day there will be fewer unvaccinated adults to potentially pass it on to.

Also of course once a child or teen has had it they will have built up antibodies to prevent them getting it again.

I know I am stating the obvious here but I do feel that a lot of folks fears are unfounded.

I guess it will take a while for some people to accept that life has to return to normal, but I’m sure confidence will return.

Skye17

@chattykathy Sorry, I meant my comment at 11:58 today.

Well, let's say you have greater protection wearing a KN95 mask then, especially when so many aren't going to wear any kind of face covering.

sandye

I won't be wearing a mask after 19th unless for work.I am very skeptical of the figure's I know someone who had covid and he was rung by 4 diffrent departments to record him having it, so one case turned into four. Also if you listern to the way it's recorded ''if a posative covid test in 28 days'' so someone having a posative test then being killed in a car crash is still covid. My 90 year old mother tested posative and the only way we knew she had it was because she lives in a home and was tested reg.

Very few people are killed in a car crash every day, never mind whether they've had Covid. That argument has been refuted so many times.

rosie1959

twinnytwin

Growstuff - taking personal responsibility doesn't mean that I refuse to wear a mask ever again. It means that I make the decision rather than the Govt. No need to use an exclamation mark in your response. I rarely comment on Gransnet due to this type of behaviour.

Totally agree twinnytwin It was a total pleasure to look around the shops this morning without a ruddy mask. I would have looked out of place if I had been wearing one
Being continuously told on here that they are not a problem is the writers opinion not mine I find them disorientating and generally unpleasant

I don't know which shops you were in, but if they were places where few people wore masks, they certainly won't be getting my business.

How is a mask disorientating? Sorry, but I genuinely don't understand. People don't wear them on their eyes.

Over 80% of the population have had the first jab and wellover 60% the second jab and that figure is rising fast
These are the statistics for over 18s so it's not 80% of the population it's 80% of those over 18. There is still a large proportion of the population that are not protected. And being vaccinated does not mean you will not get covid. Especially if you have only had one jab so far. My daughter a very fit 30 something who has only had one jab has caught it. And she is now ill. The Delta variant is very infectious and running riot in schools.
If wearing a mask in closed spaces helps to protect people I don't see why people object at least until a higher proportion of the whole population have had 2 jabs and the rate has gone down.

Seems like a government U-turn i.e. ignoring the data and going by dates instead. It's politics and I'm seething.

Regardless of fewer people dying from Covid, it's still a scary horrible experience and the long term repercussions can be pretty awful.

I've just spoken to a friend; she's a critical care doctor in a hospital in the Greater Manchester (GM) area. She said admissions are at winter levels and they're running out of beds. No doubt this will be the case across the GM region as well as other areas where the Delta variant is increasing.

IMO we should not be giving up masks just yet. We still have a collective responsibility to keep everyone safe and well. Two vaccinations does not stop one from getting Covid.

See Stephen Reicher's tweet here and follow the link to The Guardian's article:

twitter.com/ReicherStephen/status/1411811265077518340

I hope the OP finds a way through.

I think they should remain mandatory on public transport and other indoor areas at least until virus numbers are lower. I do think wearing masks shows consideration for others. Wearing them protects other people. So saying wear one if you are worried doesn't work. Unless other people wear them too I am not protected . I wont be going on a bus or in a shop if people are not wearing masks. So as far as I am concerned it's certainly not Freedom Day!

Narrowboatnan Yes and I’ve replenished my lipstick collection, ready for no masks!

Do I trust Johnson to get it right this time? No. Will I continue to protect myself and others by continuing to wear a mask? Yes. Do I trust Johnson to protect the NHS? No.

Oh dear. If I don’t have to wear a mask, it looks like I’m going to have to start waxing the facial hair again ?

my partner and i will both continue to wear masks when in shops or public places not so in open uncrowded places this is mainly because i have COPD and cannot risk getting covid i hate wearing the mask get breathless if i have to wear for a long periods , we have both had our vaccinations but know this is not 100% effective so wearing a mask is a yes from us for a while longer until we feel safe not wearing one

Growstuff good for you. ? And I'm sure you can tell me that you completely understand what each grade of mask can and cannot do in terms of protection.
I think it's time to stop throwing out the selfish card in these discussions.

I will continue to wear a mask when shopping, and will consider those with greater protection for the wearer, as I am certain Rates of infection will continue to rise ( these are already thousands per day). The Government are already saying that "booster" injections will be required soon. It may be that fewer people are hospitalised or dying, but more people are suffering from the effects of "Long Covid" and these may last for years! For those who are Vulnerable, or in contact with family members who are - it seems sensible to continue to take precautions.

I live in a rural area ( Cumbria ) but as it is a very popular tourist destination I will continue to wear a face mask , and as much as possible keep out of the way of people.

I work in a small but busy corner shop / post office with 6 other people and none of us have had COVID so far . We do test twice a week and all wear masks 4 of us are double jabbed and the others have had one . We have worked all the way through this pandemic . Without any screens or masks for the first few months . We provide hand sanitiser for our customers although not many use it even though there is a lot of money being handled due to the post office . I think most of our customers will not be wearing a mask as quite a few don’t bother now

Well, we know where the blame will be put when the cases rise even more when the restrictions are lifted, firmly at the doors of Joe Public, we were told to be sensible, its been called 'Freedom day' to make it sound like the Govt are giving us a great gift...its not freedom, not when they don't even want people protesting peacefully anymore...this Freedom day rubbish is all for the gullible dolts that voted them in, that think Doris and co have done a good job, and have been lucky enough not to lose anyone to this awful disease.

I shall happily be wearing my mask to protect others still.

I won't be wearing a mask after 19th unless for work.I am very skeptical of the figure's I know someone who had covid and he was rung by 4 diffrent departments to record him having it, so one case turned into four. Also if you listern to the way it's recorded ''if a posative covid test in 28 days'' so someone having a posative test then being killed in a car crash is still covid. My 90 year old mother tested posative and the only way we knew she had it was because she lives in a home and was tested reg.

With the rise in both positive cases and hospitalizations it is only an idiot who would say optional.

MayBee70

Dinahmo

Am I the only one to wonder what other bad news is about to come out that Boris wants to hide from us?

NHS reform….(ie privatisation by stealth….) buried by this George Cross stuff and liberation day…..

Here

Joan Bakewell
@JDBakewell
Alert! New health bill is launched… power grab by govt. which threatens future of the NHS! American company given chance to interfere. Efforts to stop it happening start now!!

twinnytwin

Growstuff - taking personal responsibility doesn't mean that I refuse to wear a mask ever again. It means that I make the decision rather than the Govt. No need to use an exclamation mark in your response. I rarely comment on Gransnet due to this type of behaviour.

Totally agree twinnytwin It was a total pleasure to look around the shops this morning without a ruddy mask. I would have looked out of place if I had been wearing one
Being continuously told on here that they are not a problem is the writers opinion not mine I find them disorientating and generally unpleasant

Personally I think it's ridiculous giving people the choice of wearing them or not when there are so many new variants popping up. I shall continue wearing mine til I feel safe doing otherwise!

i am more than happy to wear a mask , so is it the case that washing hands will be optional too?

Dinahmo

Am I the only one to wonder what other bad news is about to come out that Boris wants to hide from us?

NHS reform….(ie privatisation by stealth….) buried by this George Cross stuff and liberation day…..

In all honesty ….can we firstly trust a government and in particular a leader who many months ago when all this started told us not to buy masks as they wouldn’t protect us and it would interfere with PPE equipment needed by hospitals.
Do you think you buying a box of masks would affect hospitals who order in thousands if not millions from wholesalers?
How many died then through poor advice?

And secondly can you really trust a leader who forgives so easily, Patel, bullying, said sorry saved her job, Jenrick, broke the lockdown rules and has dubious dealings with planners, says sorry and forgiven, Cummings broke lockdown for the lamest of excuses, said sorry, forgiven and stayed in his job for months….and Hancock, broke all the rules, said sorry, forgiven but forced out by public opinion.
Our glorious leader forgives so easily the actions of his peers where we would be outraged given our sacrifices and losses, so why does he forgive so easily, because to him, it doesn’t matter, it’s nothing because his standards are exactly the same as the ones he’s forgiving.

There is nothing worse than weak leadership and to carry people along on a wing and a prayer through thick and thin, telling them that what they’re doing in their sacrifice is a good thing, encouraging them on and and then when the final fence is in sight, drop them like a stone and say ..‘you’re on your own now kids’….yes, that’s real leadership. …it’s all too haphazard or rather planned stupidity, I don’t know which.
All I do know is…..look to your own self and look after you and yours …let the fools carry on regardless ….you can do no more…Nero…Fiddling …Rome …Burns ….comes to mind.

Am I the only one to wonder what other bad news is about to come out that Boris wants to hide from us?