COVID-19 etiquette and good manners after 19 July 2021

The two articles you link contradict each other.

After what I saw today, I think it's every person for themselves. I went into a large store with the understanding masks are still required indoors in my area. Not one person who wasn't working there was wearing a mask. They can't all be exempt. As things do seem to change quickly I wondered if I had missed something and asked the man at the counter if masks were still required. He said they were. Nothing had changed. People will just do what they like. I have no hope of any collective etiquette on anything now.

I have given up driving a few years ago, but when I was driving I always carefully observed speed limits.

A phenomenon that I noticed often was that if there was someone following me in a 30 mph area, such as in a village, also observing the speed limit, once the sign of the end of the 30 mph area (going to a 60 mph limit) was in line of sight, the following driver would overtake me, thus breaking the speed limit for the final part of the 30mph zone, maybe for 50 yards or more, often overtaking me at quite a speed, accelerating fast.

I wonder if what you observed in the store is structurally the same thing, even though according to the Prime Minister on Monday the final decision on whether to go ahead with the plan will not be taken until Monday 12 July and what he said on Monday is only what will happen if the decision is taken to go ahead with the plan.

Today I went to get a breakfast bun on the way to work. Instead of the usual masked server, a young assistant with a lanyard began the preparation. She sliced the bun open, then she coughed!
Yes, she turned her head and coughed into her elbow. Yes, she said, “It’s not Covid.”
I refused to take the bun, but she called another assistant over. I got a lecture on how some people can’t wear masks. I said they should be wearing masks to prepare food with or without Covid.
I left without the bun, but they didn’t dispose of it, just left it, presumably for the next customer.
What would you have done?

I think you were right to be careful. I know some people are exempt from mask wearing but they really should not be serving customers in a food outlet,,

Totally right to do what you did. Even pre covid I wouldn’t want people coughing over my food!

Do some of you ever think about what goes on in the back room before your food gets to the front counter?
Chances are that bun/sandwich/ cake had been coughed over before you even saw it/them.

I wouldn't ever go back there Mollygo; heaven knows what they'd do to your breakfast bun when you weren't looking.

I try not to think about what goes on in many establishments, but in this shop, the buns are on display, the hot food is moved from the (visible) ovens/rotisseries at the back of the shop and placed in heated trays in front of you (behind a glass screen so you can indicate the bacon/sausage/ chicken piece you want).
The only handling is picking up the bun, slicing it then putting the filling on with tongs.
Perhaps I’ve got used to masks. I really can’t say if they had them before Covid, but I think they’re an idea that should be retained and I think you shouldn’t serve ready-to-eat food if you have a cough.

I would have done what you did Mollygo. In fact I would have left the establishment if my food was coughed over before Covid.

Interestingly, my DD went in this morning to get a sausage swirl for for my DGS on his way to Jiu jitsu and the servers were ALL masked.