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

I've got almost the opposite where I live. There are so many people who have always refused to wear masks, and refer to the ones who have stuck to the rules as sheeple! Their attitude didn't change when we had a surge in cases in my street a couple of weeks ago.

Grow stuff. I feel sorry if that child who's going to be blacklisted. There must be some horrible people in that community. There's always someone ready to look down their nose at some unfortunate person / people. Disgusting!!!!

As I posted "What a lovely country we live in* that poor child and his family.

Smileless2012

So a family has been "more or less blacklisted" because their child is the one who has been made responsible because his "family don't wear masks".

What a lovely country we live in. So, you "wouldn't want to be in that child's shoes when he returns to school" well neither would I if I lived in the community you live in growstuff.

I suspect my community isn't that much different from many others. I didn't make any judgement, but I'm afraid that's how communities work. We were down to just one or two cases a day (sometimes nil), but this single outbreak resulted in at least 7 children being infected.

So a family has been "more or less blacklisted" because their child is the one who has been made responsible because his "family don't wear masks".

What a lovely country we live in. So, you "wouldn't want to be in that child's shoes when he returns to school" well neither would I if I lived in the community you live in growstuff.

You could display a polite notice in view of the door entrance, to say face masks are still required.

Was it Beth Rigby who accused the PM of being reckless about saying masks and social distancing will no longer be mandatory from the 19th July.? The data proved that the cases are rising and will possibly continue to do so although because the vaccine has worked the hospitals have not been overwhelmed. They were asked twice about the expected death
rate but would not give an answer.
I suspect it all comes down to getting everything opened up
and money moving in the economy which after all that is what Boris has wanted for a long time, and also now having S.J he too has said the same.
I agree with Beth Rigby although I would say Boris is taking perilous risks with the overall health of the public and playing russian roulette by rushing out of the lockdown and leaving people open to any further damage from the virus.

Jersey has a population of about 100,000 (not counting thousands of tourists), which is about the same as my council district.

Jersey has had 69 Covid deaths. My district has had 370 (which is actually quite low for the UK).

The difference is that we're not an island and we can't insist that everybody crossing the county border is tested and forced to isolate. In effect, Jersey has set itself up as an almost Covid-free zone, so it's not surprising you can be more relaxed.

It's like comparing apples and pears.

PS. I'd still walk out of anywhere where I saw that mask wearing isn't the norm. Fortunately, I don't have to use pubic transport.

I dont think its a good idea as the infection rate is still going up. Im still going to wear mine.

Incidentally, this is from the official Jersey website:

"All passengers are offered testing on arrival into Jersey free of charge.

Passengers who do not take part in the testing programme must isolate for 14 days."

Presumably that means that cases can be controlled on a small island, unlike the UK.

rosie1959

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

No problem! I don't much like pubs anyway. There are plenty of much nicer places with plenty of open spaces.

Unfortunately, many of them are JaneJudge. My local secondary school doesn't enforce mask wearing, but pupils have told me that nearly all the pupils and all the staff still wear them. There was a serious outbreak a couple of weeks ago, seeded by a pupil whose family don't wear masks. The names couldn't be released, but just about everybody knows who it was and I've read some of the comments about the family on local social media. They've been more or less blacklisted. I wouldn't like to be in that child's shoes when he returns to school.

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.

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.

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?

PS. I've just earned another 5p.

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?

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

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.??

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.

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

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

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

: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.

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