Face coverings to be mandatory in shops

odyssey06

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Face coverings to be made mandatory in shops, following a meeting of cabinet this evening.
Ministers approved the proposal to extend the regulation requiring face coverings on public transport – which came in to effect on Monday.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed the move this evening, saying that face coverings will be mandatory in shops for both shoppers and staff, unless a screen is in place.

 
Every shop I have been in, big supermarket or small local shop has a screen in place at the counter. Does it mean face masks are not mandatory in these shops?
 
Good question I interpreted it to mean that the staff behind a screen wouldn't need to wear one, but customers would still need to wear a mask as they would be coming close to other customers \ staff members on the floor.
 
If anybody feels the wearing of a face mask to be uncomfortable, they sure could be more uncomfortable wearing a respirator mask later.
 
If anybody feels the wearing of a face mask to be uncomfortable, they sure could be more uncomfortable wearing a respirator mask later

I see your views have changed Leper. This is what you said on another thread. Why the change in thinking?

"In Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and most other cities in that part of the world people have been wearing face masks for years. You see they have been living with Smog continuously.

. . . . . and to answer your question I won't be wearing a face mask or plastic gloves mainly because (i) they are almost ineffective and (ii) people working in health care (not just in hospitals) need such protection and I won't contribute to any scarcity"

 
I don't think there is any shortages now of gloves \ surgical masks - except perhaps the H95 respirator style masks.
 
Just because I ask a question, does not mean I am looking for a loophole.
Don't be asking questions. I've done my research and according to Twitter replies, Ireland has the highest proportion of Epidemiologist Travel Experts in the world, if not the universe. If there are questions to be asked, they will ask them, then answer them, then send a mob to your house if you disagree with them.
 
I see your views have changed Leper. This is what you said on another thread. Why the change in thinking?

"In Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and most other cities in that part of the world people have been wearing face masks for years. You see they have been living with Smog continuously.

. . . . . and to answer your question I won't be wearing a face mask or plastic gloves mainly because (i) they are almost ineffective and (ii) people working in health care (not just in hospitals) need such protection and I won't contribute to any scarcity"

You're right, my views have changed along with other changes that have happened. When the pandemic started in Ireland we were advised that wearing of face masks was not necessary because of the restrictions that were in place. The R number has risen.

Things have changed since and if buses are to be allowed "extra" passengers and supermarkets becoming busier the wearing of face masks is now a necessity for the safety of everybody. I am wearing a face mask when I visit any shop. Failing to do is is now irresponsible.

Thanks for letting me clear up the issue.
 
You're right, my views have changed

If everybody had worn face masks from the beginning maybe we might have saved a few lives. Pity you and others were so determined not to in the beginning. To state that the wearing of face masks in Asia was down to "smog", beggars belief.
 
If everybody had worn face masks from the beginning maybe we might have saved a few lives. Pity you and others were so determined not to in the beginning. To state that the wearing of face masks in Asia was down to "smog", beggars belief.
There were extreme shortages of masks in the beginning and mixed signals about their effectiveness.
 
If everybody had worn face masks from the beginning maybe we might have saved a few lives. Pity you and others were so determined not to in the beginning. To state that the wearing of face masks in Asia was down to "smog", beggars belief.
1. For years before Covid-19 cities like Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai were blighted with smog. Many of the inhabitants wore face masks then. I'm sorry you didn't know this. You'd even notice many Asian people in Ireland wearing face masks back then too.
2. "If everybody had worn face masks from the beginning . . . .Pity you and others were so determined not to . . .(a) You don't know that lives could have been saved. (b) You don't know that the situation could have been worse. I took the advice of our Covid-19 Advisors on the situation and I have no regrets.
3. "beggars belief" - You've lost me there.
 
Apart from PPE, is there any chance Blessed Martin could appoint a Minister for Sensible Heads, as they seem to be in short supply. Dunnes stores Rathdowney Co Laois this afternoon, no staff member wearing masks, not one single uniformed person whether behind plastic shields or in free circulation re-stocking shelves or standing around in groups of three or four chatting and blocking aisles wore masks; most of the customers not bothered with either masks or hand-sanitisation. I asked a staff member standing inside the exit/entrance what the story was and he launched into a story about his asthma and masks and awaiting legal guidance from those above. God help us.

In contrast, in SuperValu a few hundred metres away, all staff members and most customers wore masks and gloves and the store has been redesigned with the old entrance now one-way and a new one-way exit. Well done SuperValu.

I know I'm a late convert, but anything we can do to try to avoid another pandemic surge is worth doing, unless you work or shop in Dunnes.
 
Apart from PPE, is there any chance Blessed Martin could appoint a Minister for Sensible Heads, as they seem to be in short supply. Dunnes stores Rathdowney Co Laois this afternoon, no staff member wearing masks, not one single uniformed person whether behind plastic shields or in free circulation re-stocking shelves or standing around in groups of three or four chatting and blocking aisles wore masks; most of the customers not bothered with either masks or hand-sanitisation. I asked a staff member standing inside the exit/entrance what the story was and he launched into a story about his asthma and masks and awaiting legal guidance from those above. God help us.

If their asthma is that bad they can't use a cloth face covering, they shouldn't be working in a public setting in an outbreak of a severe respiratory virus.

"If a patient’s asthma is so severe that a standard cloth mask prevents them from breathing properly — which she says only includes about 1 percent of asthma patients — then they should be staying home anyway since the risk of them developing severe COVID-19 symptoms may be higher. "
- Sally Wenzel, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Asthma Institute at UPMC
 
Don't patronize stores you feel are unsafe.

They'll quickly get the message when they lose custom to businesses that are more fastidious in enforcing safety measures.
 
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