Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation on Monday evening, outlining the final stages of the lockdown and how the nation “will learn to live with” the coronavirus. Ahead of the announcement, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said legal restrictions would be removed on mask wearing, allowing people “to exercise a certain degree of personal responsibility and judgment.”
Mr Jenrick said: “Different people will come to different conclusions on things like masks.”
But the debate over whether or not people should wear masks and what is the “right” thing to do has already started.
Mr Jenrick said he would cover his face as soon as possible, but Social Affairs Secretary Helen Whatley declined to say whether or not she would continue to wear a mask when questioned by the BBC on Monday.
Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, said he would continue to wear a mask indefinitely if he had symptoms of Covid or in an enclosed, overcrowded space.
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He said: “I think as pediatricians we have learned that we can avoid massive problems with children who get sick in the winter by taking these kinds of steps.
“We just haven’t seen the respiratory virus outbreak last winter that we’ve seen every year throughout my career.
“I think wearing a mask is something that we have learned is extremely valuable to do under certain circumstances.
“It doesn’t mean that I will wear a mask all the time, but it does mean that I will wear it once in a while.”
But Mr Jenrick said: “These will be matters of personal choice. Some in society will want to do this for publicly legitimate reasons.
“But it will be a different time when we, as private citizens, make these judgments, rather than the government telling you what to do.”
What does science say?
There are differing scientific opinions on the effectiveness of masks, but one thing seems to agree: the better the mask, the better the level of protection for the wearer and those around them.
Research by the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has found that the quality of face masks worn by healthcare workers makes a huge difference in their risk of coronavirus infection.
Wearing a high quality mask known as FFP3 can provide up to 100% protection.
In contrast, staff wearing standard surgical masks are much more likely to catch the virus.
These surgical masks are fluid resistant but not intended to filter infectious aerosols – tiny virus particles that can linger in the air and are now widely accepted as a source of coronavirus infection.
But FFP3 masks have a tight fit and are specifically designed to filter aerosols, and research has shown they have a huge impact.
The type of masks that many wear in the public – a layer or two of cloth – are not classified as official PPE.
They are not believed to help protect the wearer, but some evidence has shown that they can protect others if you are infected.
But some have argued that maybe now is the time to try life without masks.
Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modeling, which provides modeling evidence to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said July 19 was “probably the right time” to consider ending the port. of face masks.
He told BBC Breakfast: “It’s interesting. If we’re going to do it, I think it’s probably a good time to think about it.
“I think if we’re going to take them out, July 19, when we see a very low number of hospital admissions and a low number of deaths, is probably a good time to consider it.”
So, will you wear a mask after your period is lifted?
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This notice was published: 2021-07-05 11:12:02
