Quote Originally Posted by Flem View Post
(This is a post from me free of both sarcasm and satire.)

I spent yesterday walking in the Brecon Beacons. On my way home I stopped for petrol at a petrol station with a Spar shop attached. It was on the outskirts of Cardiff, just before I joined the M4. Quite a busy little place, cars continually departing and arriving, people going into and out of the shop. (The pumps were 'pay in the shop' only.) There was not a single face mask in sight (apart from mine). Not one. It felt really quite weird, as though I'd gone back in time. I didn't realise at the time, but I checked it later at home, that face masks are not compulsory in shops in Wales (in general). They will be from Monday, though, because cases have been going up. Why on earth wait until cases are already increasing before implementing such a simple mitigation measure?

Even now that I know that masks aren't compulsory in Wales, I still find it quite incredible that, of all the people there (and there were quite a few), I was the only one wearing a mask. I said this shop/petrol station is on the outskirts of Cardiff, but, actually, it's closer to the centre of Caerphilly than it is to the centre of Cardiff. It must be really quite close (probably less than a mile) to the Caerphilly County Borough boundary within which, as I understand it, various restrictions, including the requirement to wear a face mask in shops, etc., were introduced a few days ago. The reason the restrictions were introduced, of course, is that there has been "a sharp and rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus" in the Caerphilly region. And yet, less than a mile away, not a single person was wearing a mask in that shop/petrol station. Furthermore, even though the shop had implemented a form of one-way system for people entering and leaving, the people there when I was there seemed to be paying no heed whatsoever to the concept of social distancing. None.

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that Boris Johnson was talking about a significant return to normality in time for Christmas, and saying that we (i.e., in the UK) should all be "looking ahead with optimism"? I wish I had access to whatever substances he's on. And as for those people who say that everything would be fine if it was all left to individual responsibility - say what!?
What you highlight firstly is the situation that has been created where differing parts of our country have different regulations. I don't think that is helpful.
Devolution was and remains a dog's breakfast.

I don't have an issue with masks - I have an issue with face coverings and to be clear it is face coverings that have been asked for.

To abide by the regulations I wear a buff. I have only once had to wear it for a long period when in a shopping centre in Nottingham a few weeks ago. It did get a bit warm. But mostly I wear it for nipping in the Post Office, the local convenience store etc. so only a few minutes each time.

There is some weak evidence that suggests wearing a mask in a public area, particularly indoors, may reduce the aerosol effect of an infected COVID person.
OK, accepted.

But there are also knock on consequences such as what Llani alluded to, which was some of those wearing a face covering seem to thing it offers a more significant level of protection than it does - they also seem to think it offers protection to themselves.

There are also possible knock-on consequences of face coverings. There is little evidence for the consequences, just as there is for the benefits.
But that doesn't mean to say they aren't realistic. You can imagine a child at school face covering on, then off in to the pocket, constantly touching it and the cloth could be capturing and accumulating pathogens that can then be transferred by touch.

So if you are pro face covering, that's fine. It's a reasonable position to take if you see that as erring on the side of caution.

I'm not. I tend to think the slim chance of any benefits is countered by the similarly slim chance of negative effects.

The HSE are fairly pragmatic.

Face coverings are not classed as personal protective equipment (PPE) as they:

are generally not manufactured to a recognised standard and not CE marked
do not provide a proven level of protection for work risks such as dust and spray

and they ask employers to support workers who choose to wear them.