You should watch BBC2 Newsnight's (Friday) edition if you want to see that there are at least two sides to the mask wearing arguments.
The points made against making it compulsory by two experts were practically a repeat of what I suggested in this thread earlier, poo-pooed by some here. One of them also made it clear that this late attempt at introducing it in England and Wales was politically motivated more than anything.
The authorities want to be seen to be doing something, no matter how fatuous, to reassure the public that after scaring a lot of people witless to keep them at home, that it is now perfectly safe to go back to work and shop in the local high street if you wear a mask. It is not. The enforced use of masks as a symbol of social compliance is also something I suggested weeks ago here would be used by the authorities.
But the absurdity of this new pressure to introduce such regulations so late seems to have been missed. You have a government encouraging in particular the reopening restaurants, pubs, clubs and gyms and even giving away 50% discount vouchers for eating out.
Can you please tell how you can eat and drink wearing a mask? If its OK not to wear a mask in an eatery or take a swig from a bottle of water in a gym where you could be in a room with dozens of other people for several hours why popping into a corner shop for 90 seconds to buy a ready meal, a loaf of bread or some milk without a mask could land you with a fine as is also being proposed?
It is bloody stupid timing as much as anything. If this had been introduced right at the start few would have objected. But it could not have been done then without denuding the health service of their vital PPE because it was in such short supply at that time and even now.
The points made against making it compulsory by two experts were practically a repeat of what I suggested in this thread earlier, poo-pooed by some here. One of them also made it clear that this late attempt at introducing it in England and Wales was politically motivated more than anything.
The authorities want to be seen to be doing something, no matter how fatuous, to reassure the public that after scaring a lot of people witless to keep them at home, that it is now perfectly safe to go back to work and shop in the local high street if you wear a mask. It is not. The enforced use of masks as a symbol of social compliance is also something I suggested weeks ago here would be used by the authorities.
But the absurdity of this new pressure to introduce such regulations so late seems to have been missed. You have a government encouraging in particular the reopening restaurants, pubs, clubs and gyms and even giving away 50% discount vouchers for eating out.
Can you please tell how you can eat and drink wearing a mask? If its OK not to wear a mask in an eatery or take a swig from a bottle of water in a gym where you could be in a room with dozens of other people for several hours why popping into a corner shop for 90 seconds to buy a ready meal, a loaf of bread or some milk without a mask could land you with a fine as is also being proposed?
It is bloody stupid timing as much as anything. If this had been introduced right at the start few would have objected. But it could not have been done then without denuding the health service of their vital PPE because it was in such short supply at that time and even now.
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