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

rosie1959

Growstuff I said it makes me feel disoriented whether you understand it or not is totally irrelevant to me
I was also pointing out that as masks have been dropped here very few are wearing them so given a choice it appears many will not.

Quite honestly, your problems with eyesight are irrelevant to me too. I just don't want to be in an enclosed space with you and your friends.

No, I don't think I will. What would be the point?

BTW, I tripped and fell on the stairs in the hairdresser last week, because the mask I was wearing blocked my line of sight down the stairs.

In the grand scheme of things, it was fine, at least I didn't tumble downstairs and break my neck.

Was it normal? No, it wasn't.

Growstuff as I have now pointed out several times this has nothing to do with eyesight I am claustrophobic so this may have an effect
Just because you do not understand it that does not make it less unreal.
I am highly unlikely to be any wear near you but you may well find when masks are dropped many are not wearing them

growstuff

rosie1959

EthelJ they are asking us to use a bit of common sense. Sometimes rules around masks are daft. My DH walks into the pub wearing a mask after about 6 feet he sits down and takes it off To me the end of such pointless exercises is beyond overdue

There's no such thing as common sense.

Personally, I wouldn't go into a pub where people aren't wearing masks, unless it were extremely well ventilated, but there's no reason to give other venues an excuse for people not to be masked. All it will do is give business owners yet another headache, if they want to enforce mask wearing.

Better keep out of the pub then Growstuff

I have felt a bit disorientated in a mask too. I wondered if you have to train your brain. I am deaf in one ear and I suspect, given my children, I may be somewhere on the autistic spectrum as well. So when I wore a mask it seemed to produce another obstacle which was quite negative in a sensory way. I had to wear one to drive my daughter to college though and I have to say, after 2 weeks of doing it I completely forgot about wearing it.

I'm quite flabbergasted by Mr BJ's announcement btw. Yes we can all take personal responsibility but we can't really do that if we have to rely on others to do our care or other things. That isn't even about age either. Never mind, it wont really affect him will it? I'm just glad my Mum has decided to retire early - a decision she only took last week.

sorry I meant to preview that but pressed post instead, oh well

Mixed messages yet again. Even Whitty pointed out that it was a political decision, not a scientific one and that he’d continue to wear a mask in indoor places. I wish Whitty would man up a bit like JVT who, I would assume, the PM would have been scared to share today’s podium with.

i noticed JVT wasn't there too and thought exactly the same! what would JVT tell his Mother huh?

Yes. The JVT Mum test!

If you ever doubted the logic and mental ability of our glorious leader, now you know for sure, he’s not the full shilling!
God help us all!

I'm really sorry but I pulled this face when he shuffled off. I though Whitty was going to answer another question.

I suspect though it will be the final nail in the coffin for the NHS and SJ will be getting his advice from JPM

I think people might start complaining about me you know and I'll get banned

They wouldn’t let Beth Rigby come back after they failed to answer her questions properly.

:36rosie1959 unfortunately I don't have that much faith in people to use common sense. So many people have said they won't wear one at all if they don't have to. And it's other people they could be harming. These is no point me wearing a mask if I am on s crowded bus next to people who are not wearing them . I'm sorry but sometimes there have to be laws about these things or people just won't do them like smoking not being allowed in public places.

I shall continue to wear a mask. Quite worried about them going from schools especially during autumn/winter.

EthelJ there comes a point where they have to lift them
I would wear a mask on a crowded bus but not in shops where there are few people I would not wear one to walk into a restaurant only to remove it when seated

But what about the staff who work in the shop. Should we not do everything possible to protect them?

I thought.Chris Whitty looked uncomfortable tonight on the briefing. The worrying bit was the uncertainty about whether the daily infections will level off by 19th, as there is the potential for a continued rise through the summer as well. I do think they do know what the projected load on the NHS and number of deaths is with this wave, they were asked twice and avoided an answer, why don’t they tell us? I’m really hoping they are right and we will see a leveling off of infections. It’s a gamble, so let’s hope it pays off.
The Government in Wales aren’t making an announcement for 10 days, in line with our review process, I’d expect our easing to be more cautious.

esgt1967

I think screens in shops, where possible, is a good idea to protect shop workers but I'm not convinced of the benefits of face masks and/or other "precautions" we have been taking. If face mask, distancing and self isolation reduced the transmission, why are there still so many new positive tests every day?

I am very much in the "we have to learn to live with it" camp and personal responsibility needs to come into play much more - as someone said earlier, they will probably go shopping off-peak to avoid crowds, that is exactly what I am on about. We need to try to get back to a more normal life (I want a life now, not an existence!) and so if are still feeling vulnerable or do things differently to try to reduce your risk you are more than welcome to do that eg shopping off-peak, wearing a mask.

Every day we take risks - eating, drinking, smoking, driving a car, even walking in the street all have an element of risk of injury or possibly death - we can't avoid risk and we need to get the Covid risk into perspective now rather than trying to eradicate the risk entirely (which we will never do) and make our own decisions about what we do and don't do each day.

Excellent comments, in my view.??

Boris Johnson keeps saying we must be cautious What do you suppose he means?? I have to say it's not the first time he's confused me

esgt1967:

If face mask, distancing and self isolation reduced the transmission, why are there still so many new positive tests every day?

Because over a third of new cases are in under 18 year olds, who are forced into overcrowded, poorly ventilated classrooms, where mask wearing isn't enforced, every day.

As you appear to know more about mask wearing than scientists, would you care to share the source of your information?

PS. I've just earned another 5p.

What about people who have to use public transport to get to work? Aren't they entitled not to have people breathing virus-laden droplets all over them?

bear1

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

I suffer from asthma and also hate wearing a mask. I can just about manage the 15 minutes it takes to do our large weekly supermarket shop. Sometimes I get a runny nose which makes it difficult to breathe and I'm often gasping for breath by the time we leave. Luckily we live in a rural area so we don't come across hoards of people.
We have tickets for some concerts in a church in another village so will be wearing masks. Luckily, as long as I am seated and calm I can breathe alright.

Kryptonite

I shall continue to wear a mask. Quite worried about them going from schools especially during autumn/winter.

Our youngest's school in high delta area now has got local authority backing to enforce use of masks but there are loads of classes off. My child is off because we are having to self isolate too as we are waiting on a pcr result (it is taking ages). Maybe other areas aren't experiencing what we are though.