BristolUK

But surely nobody can see it...so why feel self conscious?

MillieF

I really do wish that we would just make face mask wearing obligatory in shops and other public spaces. It would stop the - in my area, few, idiots, that won't. I really am shocked by how many of you on here are saying that you aren't seeing many masks...here seems to be the exception.

dbd33

I went to a shop and an Indian restaurant yesterday. Everyone was wearing a mask. At the street market and on the patios, none.

BristolUK

It was only about a month ago that it was going to be mandatory in NB and then a day or so before the gov backtracked on it. NS is just doing it and it's almost like NB hasn't because the gov doesn't want to be seen as following someone else's lead.

Pulaski

The governor here (NC) made masks "mandatory" several weeks ago, but based on what I saw in local groceries, at a quiet time of day (before 9am), when presumably risk averse shoppers were out, mask wearing was only around 80%-90%. I guess that compliance would be lower later in the day. And when I was at Lowe's (DIY), also at a quite time of day (evening) I would only put compliance at around 60%-70%.

Within the past week several local stores, including my preferred grocery and Lowe's, have made wearing a mask a requirement for entering the store, but I haven't been shopping since then, so I can't report whether compliance has increased. I wouldn't bet 5c on compliance being 100%.

printer

But is this really going to do enough? Yes it MAY help in preventing increased infection spread but likely it will NOT reduce or eliminate this virus. There is way too much emphasis on masks at present, its everywhere on local news sites to social media sites and it seems you cannot go 5 minutes without seeing someone posting something about ignorant non mask wearers.
Spain, a country that has had strict mask rules for some time now, even when outdoors, has seen enough local spikes that its now off the "safe to fly to" list from UK and everyone has to quarantine for 14 days coming home. How has mask wearing helped them? The facts as i see it are that we are not getting huge spikes and clusters originating from our shopping trips to stores, we are getting them from bars, clubs, restaurants and private functions. The very places where masks are not mandatory.

spouse of scouse

Put it this way, if someone near you was coughing would you rather both of you were wearing masks, one of you wearing a mask, or none of you wearing a mask? I know which one I'd prefer!

I don't think anyone's saying that wearing a mask will make the virus disappear, nor is wearing a mask a guarantee that you won't be infected/infectious. It's just one tool in protecting yourself and others.

spouse of scouse

No one's wearing them here Millie, at least not in the supermarket I shop at. At a very rough guess there were about 100 people in and out yesterday, plus staff, and I didn't see anyone wearing a mask - except one person behind the deli window who I belatedly realised was me

I get that we haven't had any community transmission cases for some time in Western Australia, but what's happening in Victoria and (to a lesser extent) New South Wales could just as easily happen here.

printer

But that is exactly what people believe. Countless times i see posts from people stating "if we all wear masks this thing will be over much quicker" and other similar posts. It was the same with the original "stay at home, it's the least you can do so we can all get back to normal" How well did that work out? 2 weeks turned into months and now we are seeing more spikes.
Yes it's a tool to help prevent spread but its not effective in the main areas of transmission, this is my argument.

Pulaski

I am totally confused by this.

You start out asserting that masks aren't helpful (when all the informed sources say they are, but that's a seprarate matter), but end up concluding that the spikes are driven by places where masks aren't mandatory, which unless I am more confused than you appear to be, proves that masks do help.

BristolUK

I'd suggest you stay away from known sources of bollocks.

scrubbedexpat099

I was fortunate when I forgot mine and the pup had her Bandana on so borrowed it, lots of hairs.

A lady I know makes them and is going to make some logo ones for our Society as a fund raiser, will be interesting to see how they come out, she was not impressed with my Wal Mart ones.

I picked up some disposable ones from my yard yesterday, presumably they blew in, can see these being a major ecological issue.

Somebody I know has a VA appointment and apparently the regular ones do not pass muster and they supply ones that meet their standards.

MikeUK

The idea is to reduce transmission, so if it spreads to less and less people eventually there are no infected people left to transmit it on, you have those that have caught it and have some ? immunity ?, those that haven't >
Granted if you then take the masks off, and re-introduce the virus it'll start re-infecting, so its likely masks will stay until a vaccine is created ,a dn may even become a standard in 'normal' flue season

Pulaski

The thing I consistently hear from the anti-maskers, which they seem to entirely ignore, is that the primary beneficiary of your mask is everyone you meet, and that you are benefiting from everyone else's masks. So while you are being an @r$e exercising your "freedom of choice", it is everyone else that you are putting at risk.

Hurlabrick

Wearing a mask in enclosed / indoor spaces is now mandatory in London (with a by-law).

And yet, today on a visit to my local Chiropractor, lo and behold, a few people in the waiting room NOT wearing a mask - so we walked out and told them on the desk to come and get us in our car when we can go straight to a room.

Our chiropractor seems more concerned with 'not upsetting' anyone than enforcing a city-wide rule. Not happy, but from now on we will wait in the car and go directly yo a room.