One reason - and I'm sure it was stated at the time, was because they were afraid people would start buying up surgical masks and N95 respirators, when there was already a shortage for medical staff. There was also less concern over (and knowledge of) two factors that we now know a lot more about - asymptomatic infections and the prevalence of airborne particles.
Face masks
- Thread starter SmallTown
- Start date
This is a point that was made in the Oxford University report on mask wearing that I referenced earlier. As it says:That is probably true ST but if its not contradictory it is certainly muddled. Gove on the Marr show says there is no need to make wearing face masks mandatory in shops
Just 2 days ago Johnson said “I do think we need to be stricter about insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces”
Randy
Well-known member
Corcaigh_the_Cat
Well-known member
Mask Bros?
Privatisation edging ever closer.
Privatisation edging ever closer.
I don't know about the supply issue at the moment but a quick glance on Amazon shows plenty of masks of various different kinds available. There are also plenty of guides on how to make your own mask both on Amazon and on the internet in general (although they wouldn't be N95 standard).
mymatelookslikephilstamp
Active member
I live in Ibiza, and they've announced as from tomorrow, whenever you are outside of your property and no matter how 'socially distanced' you are or who you are with / not with, you will need to wear a mask at all times, other than if you are on the beach, engaged in sporting activities or eating or drinking. ALL TIMES.
Alone in a field - wear a mask.
Walking down an empty road - wear a mask.
In the hills by yourself - wear a mask.
There has been no spike in infections, no increase in cases. The official press release says the government is very impressed with the work of everyone, but now is the time to make sure that it doesn't rise again, so masks must be worn everywhere at, at all times. Punishable by €100 fine and they have just brought over an army of Guardia Civil from the mainland to enforce.
I'm sorry, but this is crazy. The line being dished out is 'to keep us safe', even though there has been no increase in any numbers. Through quarantine you could go in the supermarket with no mask, then it was just in the shops, then in places when you couldn't maintain social distance, now everywhere at all times. What risk is there in me walking down a street alone to anyone?
If the numbers are minimal now, when does the need to wear a mask at all times ever get removed, if the stats can't get any better than they already are? There is no timeline put on this. You can't continuously peddle the line that it is being done in our best interests.
Alone in a field - wear a mask.
Walking down an empty road - wear a mask.
In the hills by yourself - wear a mask.
There has been no spike in infections, no increase in cases. The official press release says the government is very impressed with the work of everyone, but now is the time to make sure that it doesn't rise again, so masks must be worn everywhere at, at all times. Punishable by €100 fine and they have just brought over an army of Guardia Civil from the mainland to enforce.
I'm sorry, but this is crazy. The line being dished out is 'to keep us safe', even though there has been no increase in any numbers. Through quarantine you could go in the supermarket with no mask, then it was just in the shops, then in places when you couldn't maintain social distance, now everywhere at all times. What risk is there in me walking down a street alone to anyone?
If the numbers are minimal now, when does the need to wear a mask at all times ever get removed, if the stats can't get any better than they already are? There is no timeline put on this. You can't continuously peddle the line that it is being done in our best interests.
dooderooni
Well-known member
I don't think you need N95 masks, you just need to stop the propelling of virus particles over distances. A face-covering and good hygiene makes an effective combination and while it might not eradicate the virus it certainly won't do any harm.
Certainly from my experience, public mask or face-covering wearing isn't the norm outside of the workplace so if it increased then we might see the daily case numbers drop into double or even single digits. Any mandate would have to come with good messaging though and certainly with video instructions on how to use a mask effectively and in conjunction with excellent hygiene. Anyone seen wearing one as a chin-hammock should be shot if you ask me
Certainly from my experience, public mask or face-covering wearing isn't the norm outside of the workplace so if it increased then we might see the daily case numbers drop into double or even single digits. Any mandate would have to come with good messaging though and certainly with video instructions on how to use a mask effectively and in conjunction with excellent hygiene. Anyone seen wearing one as a chin-hammock should be shot if you ask me
What if you're walking down an empty street and someone suddenly comes around the corner (or out of a house) and bumps into you when you're not wearing a mask? I think the point is that if you wear a mask at all times when you're outside your home then you'll always have it on when needed. Once you say people don't need to wear masks all the time, they won't - and then there will inevitably be times when people won't have one on when they should have done.
What is it that you find so objectionable about wearing a mask anyway?
Not wanting to sound like a broken record but again, that's another thing the Oxford University report says:
mymatelookslikephilstamp
Active member
Come on. Chances of walking down an empty street or field and accidentally bumping into someone are incredibly incredibly minimal. Case numbers are virtually zero here, so the chance of me at first bumping into someone accidentally then ALSO passing on something are virtually zero. Should we wear masks for the rest of our lives, just in case an incredibly small percentage chance of risk still exists - just to 'keep us safe'? There is more to this than simply protecting the public.
In answer to your question about what do I find so objectionable about wearing a mask in general - it is uncomfortable, unnatural, and quite oppressive. I wear one in the situations required (in a closed space ie shops and supermarkets, in situations where social distancing can't be maintained) and I am not an 'anti-masker' or 5G style conspiracist. The WHO & the UK Government guidance both say there is very little health benefit to wearing a mask, both for the individual wearing the mask, and those in the proximity.
It is 35C here presently, wearing a mask at all times is at best uncomfortable and at worst bad for health.
Randy
Well-known member
I'm only interested in a N95 standard mask cheers.
Foggysfplandiet3
Well-known member
I had to go to Tesco this morning for supplies; hardly anyone wearing a mask, hardly anyone socially distancing, some stood right next to me, I had to ask one guy at the till to back off as he was stood in the exclusion zone when I was paying my bill. The majority aren’t taking the slightest bit of notice and are now behaving just as they did four months ago before all this started.
Michael Gove is on record as saying he trusts people to use their common sense, well look where that got us in Brighton, Bournemouth and Lulworth Cove a few weeks ago. The average Brit either doesn’t have common sense or they think rules don’t apply to them. Masks should be compulsory in high traffic area like shops or you don’t get in, full stop.
bear66
Well-known member
Try Google.
BoroBosco
Well-known member
Let's imagine that masks are made compulsory in all enclosed spaces, what conditions will be required to end the compulsion?
Once we begin forcing people to wear masks for public health reasons I can see no exit until we have eliminated all diseases with respiratory transmission. Dying from flu, meningitis, etc leaves you as dead as dying from covid19 so why force protection from one & not the other?
Once we begin forcing people to wear masks for public health reasons I can see no exit until we have eliminated all diseases with respiratory transmission. Dying from flu, meningitis, etc leaves you as dead as dying from covid19 so why force protection from one & not the other?
Which I addressed in the first sentence of my post.
SmallTown
Well-known member
They won’t be N95 but there are literally hundreds of masks for sale right now
hopesoboro
Well-known member
Are there bins and/or procedures for disposal?
We see loads already chucked on the ground over here.
SmallTown
Well-known member
Fine by me. Do you want people to spread disease and kill others? Maybe we should do it until diseases which have no vaccines, no known treatments and have yet to be studied by medical science are less prevalent in the population?
bear66
Well-known member
Do you want a US standard mask? FFP2 are the European standard. (Or go for KN95 for a cheap Chinese version of the US spec.). Google for the best deal.
Erimus74
Well-known member
SmallTown, I have no objection with people wearing a mask wherever they see fit, be that in my back garden, at work, out shopping or walking down the street
We are asking people to wear masks all the time but we witnessed the British public who thought otherwise, or all those protestors all over the country in their hundreds, all the Liverpool fans once they clinched the league & now its to be compulsory
They made a big deal over Cummins going to Barnard Castle but the media made more of a risk than him
This should have been enforced at the beginning, if at all