Are you still wearing a face mask?

yes, I'm still wearing one and will continue to do so. I've had my 3rd jab but its no big deal wearing a mask.
The worst offenders for not wearing them are the young mums with small children round me - in the supermarket none of them are wearing masks. Is it an age thing?

I continue to wear one in shops and transport, as here in France , we have never stopped. Pass sanitaire and mask wearing has kept cases down here. Was shocked when visiting London by the mlack of mask wearers on the Tube, despite signs saying it was obligatory. Are people in denial in the UK?

TwoWolves

I've asked for my post to be deleted cos it was totally daft, but the darn things wind me up so much. Bridgeit, I have very rarely worn one, and I'm still here - they don't work!!

Absolutely agree.

But on a more serious note, now that everyone has had the opportunity to have two jabs and so the threat to life is very much diminished, every action designed to prevent infection should cease, apart form for the extremely vulnerable. This is because if the vaccines do not totally prevent illness then the only way the virus is going to go away is if we all develop natural immunity. Unfortunately this means we are all going to have to get the disease at some point.

Do we want the restrictions to go on for ever?

It is still a legal requirement in Wales but unfortunately more and more people seem to be disregarding this, hence the increase in the infection rate.

It just seems only fair to wear masks in public places. People that work in shops, public transport etc are vulnerable and it is only common sense to try to protect them and ourselves by wearing a mask.

How hard is it? It really only a little thing that we can do to try and minimise risk.

If face masks did the job we are told they do we would have to dispose of them as hazardous waste immediately after taking them off not folding them and putting them in pockets or handbags to used again.

Cossy

TwoWolves

I've asked for my post to be deleted cos it was totally daft, but the darn things wind me up so much. Bridgeit, I have very rarely worn one, and I'm still here - they don't work!!

Twowolves

Sorry to disagree, but decent ply masks do help cut transmission. COVID is spread in droplets via the air - disgusting as it sounds go to a mirror, stand a foot away and spit really hard without a mask - see that spray on your mirror ? Clean your mirror, pop on your mask, spit again ! See how much less spittle on your mirror ?

So if you and someone else both wear well fitting two or three ply masks it will indeed reduce the risks of spreading Covid, fly, cold and coughs.

Before all this started was it normal for you to go around coughing and spitting in people's faces?

I can’t understand why England is the only part of UK not to have it mandatory for face masks , it’s such an easy thing to do. When I went on the train to Leeds a couple of months ago from Edinburgh the few people who had them on ( including the guard ) were at the first few stops, as we got over the border no one had them on and some people started to take theirs off . While there I was definitely in the minority wearing one ??

Been wearing a face mask inside and in crowded spaces all along. Also social distancing when possible. I’m not especially vulnerable but I don’t want to infect any of my more vulnerable family and friends. It’s a very small ask of us considering what’s at stake.

Yes still wearing a mask and will for the foreseeable future. Too many people around who think they are immortal and/or don't care about others.

Urmstongran

Is ‘making people feel safer’ the same as ‘making people safer’?
Asking for a friend.

Exactly.

We are concentrating too much of the former without really bothering about the latter.

Will continue to wear one not much of aproblem to protect yourselves and others.

1summer I totally agree. I am ECV and we are still semi-shielding - shopping still delivered and seeing GCs and DD after they have been tested.So masks are de rigeur. In the Dr surgery this morning for my flu vac. a man was boasting about going out as usual and not worrying whether or not he caught covid, and I wanted to scream ‘That’s your choice, but you increase the risk to my life and others like me.” So from the point of view that masks protect others, only really selfish people do not wear them (ex medical reasons not to)

Here in N.I we are supposed to still be wearing them, but the amount of people who aren't is so annoying. I have mine on every time I'm out in shops, etc and I'm going to see Grease in the Belfast Opera house next week I will be wearing it throughout the show. I have been nervous about attending, but they have sent emails to patrons that we have to show our doubled jab vaccination card or a negative test to get in which has made me feel a little better, but as for masks, they need to be on.

I still wear mine in shops and some other places even though I have had both vaccines and Covid-19. I wear it most to protect others as that's what they are for. I still use hand gel or wipes too. I really would like to spend Christmas with my family this year, especially as its my first Christmas without my husband.

Wearing a mask should have continued being compulsory in my opinion and maybe that would had reduced the infection rate that we are now seeing. People seem to have forgotten that we are still in the middle of a pandemic and I find it astonishing that the vast majority of people have discontinued wearing them as they obviously prefer the advice from the government rather than that of the scientists and medical professionals who have evidence to back up the benefits of mask wearing

Urmstongran

As said upthread Lucca I wear one when requested to do so. Outside? No. I keep my distance. Or stand still if somewhere busy to wait a minute, then pass by, passing no one closely.

So you would not wear one in a shop unless asked to ? So you are not in favour basically.

Maggiemaybe good point.
I agree some of the countries are not doing LFTs and hardly doing PCRs. So literally 100,000s are being missed because people don't even know. They just think they have a cold. I did, if I hadn't done a LFT followed by a PCR I would have never known.

Maggiemaybe

Yes I am. Probably just as well as I tested positive a couple of weeks ago, and I was on public transport and in shops that day.

Can we please not try to turn this into yet another other countries good, UK bad thread though? If DH and I and our DS and two of the DGS had not had routine tests, we would not have known we had Covid from our symptoms. Other countries with their much lower levels of testing will have higher infection rates that are just not being picked up.

Agree. Some countries don’t test as much. The lateral flow tests are not free, so people are not going to bother.

I always wear a mask when I am out and about, on public transport, in crowded places, in shops. I also sanitise regularly.
I am not so keen on the constant use of lateral flow tests though.

GrannyRose15

TwoWolves

I've asked for my post to be deleted cos it was totally daft, but the darn things wind me up so much. Bridgeit, I have very rarely worn one, and I'm still here - they don't work!!

Absolutely agree.

But on a more serious note, now that everyone has had the opportunity to have two jabs and so the threat to life is very much diminished, every action designed to prevent infection should cease, apart form for the extremely vulnerable. This is because if the vaccines do not totally prevent illness then the only way the virus is going to go away is if we all develop natural immunity. Unfortunately this means we are all going to have to get the disease at some point.

Do we want the restrictions to go on for ever?

What restrictions ??!!

Short answer yes - and in England with cases rates rising so alarmingly and hospital trusts already declaring a crisis, with ambulances and patients held up for hours - we can and should do our bit to minimise the effect.

This is the chart published by the Zoe Project today - and it does not look good.

Why would anyone only wear a mask when requested to do so? If wearing a mask protects you and others, which it does, why would you only wear one if requested.

I live in Scotland, where masks never went away. Cases are in decline here.

Yes I agree Shirls compulsory wearing of face masks should have remained. I have just returned from the Canaries. People I know who live there think that people who do not wear masks in the UK are reckless and stupid not to do so. I’m inclined to agree. Enforcement is taken seriously by the Police and security in shops. I did not see anyone without a mask in a shop or enclosed space the whole time I was there. Unlike some people in the UK people there do not make a fuss they accept that wearing a mask will help to protect themselves and others. I really think mask wearing should be made compulsory and enforced, although this is unlikely as the Police failed to do this even during lockdown. Vaccination passports should be introduced as in Wales and Scotland. The government are really dragging their feet on this and need to take action.

I was up until Wednesday when I decided I’d try without one. It felt odd. Still kept my distance and followed the rules.

First time out on my own (felt brave) in over 3 years due to my mobility issues.

Met with a lady I was interested in buying a mobility scooter from. All went well, we stayed outside. Then got a message at 9pm that night saying her young son has Covid and she could have passed it onto me! Lateral tests done, no signs of it, but I’m staying in again just in case it appears in the next 10 days.

Just my luck!

Mask won’t be coming off again now once I’m ready to go out again. Big shock to the system though after dodging it for so long.