OT - to mask or not to mask........

[MadAmster]

Always wary of such anecdotal reporting. I was in Ashbourne on Tuesday and there was virtually 100% compliance, including me.
Visited a mate in Quarndon yesterday and returned via Allestree where there didn’t appear to be anyone wearing a mask.
Is Ashbourne compliant and Allestree uncompliant or was that just my ‘snapshot’?
Suspect there is a problem with some in the BAME community but the spikes may be more the result of living in extended families than failure to wear masks
Wouldn’t suggest the majority of those on the crowded beaches of Dorset and Brighton were anything other than white but I haven’t heard anyone draw particular attention to that either.
Interestingly another friend visited Holland last week...they appeared mystified at his willingness to wear a mask in public, ‘too late for that now’ was the apparent consensus.

The powers that be over here look at "the science" and take what they believe to be sensible precautions based on that science.

There is much less chance of getting infected outside.
There is evidence that you have to be "up close and personal" for several minutes to increase the chances of infection.
1.5m separation is still the rule

The instructions are to avoid, not be part of, a crowd. So, where are people up close and personal? On crowded public transport. Where is the only place we Dutch have to mask up? On public transport. Sensible and logical decisions made by sensible and logical people and carefully explained to the people. Rather than "too late for that now", it's more like "Totally unnecessary according to the facts we have been given"

[MadAmster]

But if there’s evidence that there’s even a 1% reduction in spread by wearing them, then they are wrong. Or to paraphrase a discussion I heard before I came away ‘I’m more bothered about not killing your mum than you are’...

It's the young uns breaking the rules by joining in the "crowd". They don't seem bothered about getting infected because they are likely to only have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. They don't seem to think that they could take it home and infect their (grand)parents and possibly kill them. I'd like to ask them how they would deal with the knowledge they were responsible for killing a loved one....... most would have psychological problems for the rest of their lives.

[ramAnag]

It's the young uns breaking the rules by joining in the "crowd". They don't seem bothered about getting infected because they are likely to only have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. They don't seem to think that they could take it home and infect their (grand)parents and possibly kill them. I'd like to ask them how they would deal with the knowledge they were responsible for killing a loved one....... most would have psychological problems for the rest of their lives.

I’d be interested to see how those who are so insistent that a full return to schooling is to take place in four weeks time - or from next week in Scotland - react to those comments, MA.

However desirable I recognise such a return to be - on all sorts of levels - I think the likes of Gavin Williamson, Johnson and even Sturgeon, are delusional to think that a full return isn’t going to have huge consequences. You can’t, imo, on the one hand ‘blame’ the behaviour of young people and, on the other, responsibly put them all together in the huge school ‘crucible’.

[MadAmster]

I’d be interested to see how those who are so insistent that a full return to schooling is to take place in four weeks time - or from next week in Scotland - react to those comments, MA.

However desirable I recognise such a return to be - on all sorts of levels - I think the likes of Gavin Williamson, Johnson and even Sturgeon, are delusional to think that a full return isn’t going to have huge consequences. You can’t, imo, on the one hand ‘blame’ the behaviour of young people and, on the other, responsibly put them all together in the huge school ‘crucible’.

Especially now there's that new report that debunks the "kids can't get it or spread it". It says that under 5s have way more "units" of the virus than over 5s and the 6 to 18 age group just as many "units" as an adult.

That would tend to suggest that kids should "socially distance" at school and, of course, that just isn't physically possible in a full school. I foresee many parents keeping their kids at home.

[ramAnag]

Especially now there's that new report that debunks the "kids can't get it or spread it". It says that under 5s have way more "units" of the virus than over 5s and the 6 to 18 age group just as many "units" as an adult.

That would tend to suggest that kids should "socially distance" at school and, of course, that just isn't physically possible in a full school. I foresee many parents keeping their kids at home.

For which, the esteemed Mr. Williamson, has promised...fines. Really?

Unless they wake up very quickly to the need for increasing capacity via temporary buildings I foresee major issues...but then Government appears to be on holiday, regardless of the crisis.

[Ram59]

Surely schools are a far safer and more controlled environment than pubs?

[AdiSalisbury]

Surely schools are a far safer and more controlled environment than pubs?

Yeah, but you can't get a drink at the school.

[MadAmster]

Surely schools are a far safer and more controlled environment than pubs?

Depends on the gaffer I reckon. The Neppy still has everyone seated, table service, social distancing etc. Safe and controlled....... or else.

Following the increase in cases over here (less tests than of late but twice as many per 1000 proving positive) they reintroduced some measures for pubs yesterday. All seated. You have to make reservations. Everybody has to give their name and phone number.

Universities start back soon and the student "clubs" have done their recruitment drive. Coming up is the intro week. Activities have been curtailed. Intro week is usually a week of excess alcohol and hazing. No alcohol. No hazing.

[ramAnag]

Surely schools are a far safer and more controlled environment than pubs?

From a Covid point of view? Why would that be? I certainly don’t go in many/any pubs where up to thirty something individuals are sitting in pairs very adjacent to one another.

[Ram59]

From a Covid point of view? Why would that be? I certainly don’t go in many/any pubs where up to thirty something individuals are sitting in pairs very adjacent to one another.

I don't remember going to schools where people are drunk and are standing shoulder to shoulder, having lost all sense of reasoning.