Pulaski

Multigenerational households and a failure to understand what being "in a bubble" meant*, were the two gaping holes in the well-intentioned plans to moderate the infection rate during the pendemic.

* Short version - if anyone is in two bubbles, then the bubbles are automatically merged. The result of this is that the prospect of there being a bubble bigger than about half a dozen people/ one family that has integrity and is effective for restricting the speead of covid, is slim to none. If any member of "your bubble" works outside the home, there is effectively no bubble.

Danny B

The wearing of face masks in airports and on European flights is "no longer recommended", the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said.

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-...ended-12610457

BristolUK

It's a wonderful thing, language.
While sky news reports mask wearing is no longer recommended and puts those three words in quotation marks to show it as a genuine (but only partial) quote, the ECDC report actually says something quite different.
So mask wearing, with distancing and hand hygiene actually continues to be a good way of reducing transmission.

Danny B

Social distancing in economy class

printer

And this is when it becomes extremely confusing for the travelling public. Travel within Europe and you are ok without mask. Currently travel within US and you can fly without mask. Fly within Canada and it's masks all the way and in the airport. Then came the complicated restrictions where you could in effect fly without mask if the countries that you were flying into didn't have a mandate in place. So technically US or UK carrier from London to New York it's no mask required. Same carrier but London to Toronto it's masks or no fly. If you use a Canadian carrier masks are always required regardless where you start and finish.
None of the above could be described as a passenger safety issue which is surely what we have all been told all along. There is no logical reason why masks would be required on some journeys and not others if it is for the well being of passengers and crew.

dbd33

It's not confusing at all. Wear a mask and you're good. Same with shoes.

bats

The wearing if masks in hospitals and medical environments continues to be recommended. The only reason they aren't recommended elsewhere is political.

printer

On this we agree

printer

This is an odd comment and i assume that your reasoning is wear a mask regardless of the regulations because it's recommended. Fact is whilst there are those that will still wear them and feel ill at ease without one there are also those that enjoy life without so when a mandate becomes a "recommendation" those people will choose to remove them and some airlines are happy about this as it's one less thing for the on board staff to enforce. As bats has said above it's become political now. When the worlds airlines decide that wearing a seatbelt for take off and landing is mandatory it's the same for any airline on any route for passenger safety. Yet wearing a mask on board is random depending on carrier and destination neither of which have any bearing on the risk of catching the virus and transporting it across the world.

dbd33

You said the situation is confusing for the traveling public. It really isn't. Wear a mask and you can go anywhere, you don't have to be concerned with the local regulations. The same is true for shoes. Some places may admit you without shoes, most won't. Wear shoes and you don't have to ask. Shirts are similar.

bats

so it's safer for everyone if we voluntarily wear masks. Like washing your hands after peeing and or pooping,

Danny B

We may as well just face it, if the average healthy vaccinated person is given a choice to wear a mask or not to wear a mask, most of them (myself included) will choose not to wear a mask. Besides going to the Hospital, I don't see anyone here wearing a mask.

bats

That's what I don't understand, knowingly doing something potentially harmful to yourself and others yet carrying on because it's optional, Take a risk for yourself if you must but affecting others? That's unfathomable.

Almost Canadian

It's the flip side of those that are concerned willfully exposing themselves by mixing with those that don't feel the same way that they do. I can't think of a situation where the former cannot avoid mixing with the latter, in a situation where a mask is not mandatory.

Danny B

Masks didn't stop it in 2020
Vaccines didn't stop it in 2021
Masks and vaccines combined didn't stop it in 2022.
Masks, vaccines & social distancing is probably the only solution but how long can the world keep that up?

Sometimes you have to take a risk and get on with life.