Should the wearing of face masks in public places to avoid spreading infection just be a matter of personal choice?
On Monday, the government confirmed that it would be moving to the next stage of lockdown easing on July 19, writes Sanjana Idnani.
This means that almost all legal restrictions on social contact will be lifted.
This also removes the legal requirement on wearing a face mask in indoor spaces.
The government has said that it is “expected and recommended” that members of the public should wear face coverings in crowded public settings such as public transport (unless a person is exempt). However, it will be up to individuals to decide whether they will do so or not.
So what will you do?
The rules on face mask use are different, and after Monday, more strict, in Scotland and Wales than in most of England.
What do you think about the official guidance provided by the government, Mayor of London and Croydon Council? Post your comments below.
And take part in our poll on whether you will continue to wear a mask after Monday’s easing of lockdown restrictions.
Read more: NHS officials start vaccination drive ahead of end of lockdown
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i will be still wearing my mask on monday
Me too
Evidence has shown that wearing a mask reduce s the covid infection .a care worker in a care home stated that none of the residents has caught covid in the past year.
yes i will still wear a mask. it feels very wierd that people would not have to wear masks inside shops.
I will wear a mask, when in shops, on public transport, and when entering and moving around when in my local or any other pub or restaurant. Oh–and when at the doctors and at hospital, at all times
What hardship is it to wear a mask for the 5 to 30 minutes of a shopping visit , or the 30minutes to one hour of a typical bus or train journey? None at all.
The Government decision is bizarre and irrational. It panders to the blinkered , ignorant, or selfish— who hanker after “freedom” and “want to see the world just the way it was before”.
As if !
Some of whom care little or nothing about the safety of others and the safety–and lives–of NHS staff. What was that phrase from the 1960’s ? Oh yes… “I’m all right Jack ! ” Do these people ever leave their Little Englander castles?. Do they ever go on buses? Do they live in densely populated areas?
If Covid infections flare up, people are going to die, and have their health damaged. Mask wearing shows respect for others , and care for NHS staff, on the basis that if we keep ourselves and others safe, hospital staff will be exposed to fewer Covid-infected people.
If Boris, Sajid, Chris or any other Conservative MP’s reading this, could I just respectfully mention that as a result of the government announcement, huge numbers of people in Croydon shops have ALREADY STOPPED WEARING MASKS.
If more people are admitted to A and E with Covid, one result will be that the waiting time in hospital “Urgent treatment” units ( aka the waiting room of A and E), will undoubtedly go up. My non-emergency visit 3 weeks ago to Croydon University Hospital with a swollen and possibly fractured ankle turned out to mean a 2 hour wait to be seen (while my ankle swelled up further) plus, after a consultation and tests another 1 hour wait in an ill-ventilated and fully-occupied waiting room. Most of the people were actually wearing masks. But….. are they now, and will they still be doing so in a few days time?. Will the numbers of self-declared “exempt” increase ? Will the waiting room, with its stale air, now be full of infected air ?. It is a grisly thought.
Why should I be exposed to risks–and why should others be exposed to the risk that I pose, even though “double jabbed”. My local pub has closed for a week due to a Covid contact incidence. Will the scrapping of mask rules in fact doom it and others to more closures?
Will the scrapping also be conterproductive for the shops, reducing the number of people shopping in the high street yet further, and actually dampen or kill off the much-wanted “recovery” ?
Thank goodness that Sadiq Kahn has gone against theGovernment dictat, and maintained mask wearing on TfL.
One other, and most important reason that I will continue to wear my mask is that this morning, I learned that two former employees at my last employer (I retired a few years ago)– one of whom I knew quite well, a delightful and kindly and physically fit-looking man– died as a result of contracting Covid in the last 12 months.
Both men were in the prime of life. Both were of black heritage. Both are no longer with us, or their families. It is so deeply sad, a total waste of their lives, which were cut short in such a brutal way. It puts into perspective the unforgiving natire of Covid, and perhaps its unpredictability, and the need for us all to take precautions, even if it is a bit of a bore to have to wear a mask.
This is why I will be continuing to wear a mask.
I hope that Boris has the sense–and humility– to reverse his tragically ill-considered, irrational decision. It surely can’t be “science based”. The scientists are against it. So am I.
Yes I will still be wearing a mask on Public Transport and in shops If necessary- Let’s just wait and see how it goes