3 hours ago, Guy Heaton said:

 Far better to lateral flow daily.

 

Indeed, last week the UK tested more citizens than the whole of Europe put together, and 800,000 of our children were sent home on isolation by their schools. In addition to 500,000 people in England 'pinged' to curtail what they're doing and isolate at home for 10 days. That's working out great, £37 Billion well spent...

47 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Just spotted that Co-op and M&S are taking a slightly different approach. More a "feel free to wear a mask if you wish" rather than "please wear a mask". I call into my local small Co-op most days so I'll soon see what happens in reality from Monday.

Through the media,I’ve just heard Sainsbury’s are going to leave mask wearing for individuals to decide.Hopefully this is correct👍

18 minutes ago, williamweb said:

Through the media,I’ve just heard Sainsbury’s are going to leave mask wearing for individuals to decide.Hopefully this is correct👍

Yep, just heard on TalkRadio a callers wife attended a Sainsbury staff meeting this morning where they were told that mask wearing was up to them...

4 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Yep, just heard on TalkRadio a callers wife attended a Sainsbury staff meeting this morning where they were told that mask wearing was up to them...

talkRADIO TV😀Snap👍

28 minutes ago, williamweb said:

Through the media,I’ve just heard Sainsbury’s are going to leave mask wearing for individuals to decide.Hopefully this is correct👍

I saw statements to that effect earlier in the month. I've seen the opposite in the last 24 hours, such as this:

 

Although it will become a personal choice next week if people want to don a mask or not, Sainsbury’s said there will be signs and tannoy messages to remind customers to wear one.

The signs and messages “will encourage customers to continue to wear a face covering, if they can”, with staff also encouraged to do so, unless they are behind a screen.

The supermarket said: “While wearing a face covering will become a personal choice, the decision to ask everyone in stores to continue to wear a face covering if they can reflects feedback from customers and colleagues where the majority of people surveyed want to keep the policy in place.”

 

I do wonder about these surveys. I know no-one amongst friends and relatives who wishes to wear a mask (other than in doctors/hospital waiting areas) and we often chat with the checkout staff in the local supermarkets and they all say they hate it and find a full shift very unpleasant indeed.

Monday should be "interesting".😀

1 hour ago, williamweb said:

Anyone who insists on wearing a mask from the 19th should be mandated to use a high spec medical grade mask, rather than a piece of rag,socks, your wife’s knickers, your knickers,towel,scarf,blue disposal etc😀

Yes, this is one of the things I was trying to get across to my MP (who, to be fair, agrees). By all means support those who need/wish to wear a mask for reasons of vulnerability (and nervousness) but at least help them to use the best one possible for their protection.

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

 In addition to 500,000 people in England 'pinged' to curtail what they're doing and isolate at home for 10 days.

Apparently, there's no legal requirement to isolate if you're "pinged", unlike if you've been contacted by Test and Trace, where there is. It seems there's no way of identifying those pinged, so no way of knowing if they're isolating or not.

It's a lovely day here and masses of traffic heading for the coast. It makes you wonder.........😀

 

34 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

It's a lovely day here and masses of traffic heading for the coast. It makes you wonder.........😀

 

Well, I know 100% that a colleague of my partner just had some time off work, because she was 'pinged', she doesn't even own a smart phone but the weather here was unusually good LOL I'm sure she's not unique... (her colleague, of course my partner is unique!)

55 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Monday should be "interesting".

Well I, for one, will be wearing a full hazmat suit on Monday.  After almost a year of not being breathed on I don't want to start again now!

 

9 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Well I, for one, will be wearing a full hazmat suit on Monday.  After almost a year of not being breathed on I don't want to start again now!

 

Well done buddy, they are also FFP3 compliant so you should be just fine LOL

2 hours ago, StephenFord said:

Well done buddy, they are also FFP3 compliant so you should be just fine LOL

Also ideal for all those beekeepers out there.And the right colour,come to mummy        
                                                    🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

 

 

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Although it will become a personal choice next week if people want to don a mask or not, Sainsbury’s said there will be signs and tannoy messages to remind customers to wear one.

 

Sainsbury...

I contacted them yesterday to see if they could provide me with the scientific evidence to make them still advise their customers to wear a mask from Monday - this is their response in full which I got just now. Credit to them for responding, however, the big lie that, 'safety is our highest priority' is a platitude often quoted for businesses, it isn't. By far the biggest priority they have is 'profit'...

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

We want everyone to shop safely in our stores as safety is our highest priority. We are reviewing the latest guidance and will keep customers and colleagues updated.

Please be assured we’ll continue to monitor this in line with Government guidelines. For more guidance, please visit the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own

We appreciate you taking the time to contact us and I hope you have a good day.


Kind regards,

Christopher | Sainsbury's Careline
Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd
www.sainsburys.co.uk | help.sainsburys.co.uk

2 hours ago, StephenFord said:

By far the biggest priority they have is 'profit'...

Of course it is. Though the wise business nowadays will have consideration of social/health/environmental etc issues too, that is also good for profit directly or indirectly by making customers feel good about shopping there.

Going back to my earlier point on surveys, I do wonder how much these mask policies are driven by them. I have seen these things quoting 60 or 70% pro-mask (though I've never met any of them) so the supermarkets will think most customers will want to see them used in store. If it transpires that a majority are in fact anti, and take their business elsewhere, that's obviously bad for profits and the policies may change.😀

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57863343

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57836137

 

56 minutes ago, Guy Heaton said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57863343

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57836137

 

You do realise that those sources are from the BBC, the PR division of the government 🤣 We are testing 1.2 Million people/day, whilst the whole of Europe is testing 1.1Million.

In Swedish schools, they only send a child home if they are sick, and do NOT test anyone else.

Still, like I said, if we actually debate 'facts', as opposed to emotion, I'm sure we'll get through this.

(Though Whitty seems to be on another downer today with more doom & gloom saying we'll be locked down again in a few weeks, but to be fair, he has no 'skin in the game', he has a cast iron dependable monthly salary no matter what he spouts...)

In fairness to Prof. Whitty, the guy is only doing his job by giving his medical/scientific opinion to the politicians on the facts as he sees them. The interpretation of that opinion, in conjunction with other factors, is down to the politicians.

But back on the stats. Although there are a lot of them, I don't find them that helpful, particularly when assessing my personal risk.

A bit more breakdown by age group would be useful - though it does seem that cases/deaths are now rising among younger age groups who are possibly yet to be vaccinated (just to mention the original topic!😀) and might be more inclined to get involved in social mixing at close quarters.

4 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

In fairness to Prof. Whitty, the guy is only doing his job by giving his medical/scientific opinion to the politicians on the facts as he sees them. The interpretation of that opinion, in conjunction with other factors, is down to the politicians.

 

Agree 100% It's time the politicians put their big boy pants on, and allowed this country to re-boot it's economy, let Whitty pontificate away in a backroom office somewhere out of harms way...

If you want real news and not the goverment sponored BBC (paid for by us??) then watch:

YouTube - "The Voice of Reason" presented by Alex Belfield, he can be an aquired taste but tells it as it is.

Masks that don’t protect you from an air-borne virus.Poor hygiene of staff resulting in bacterial cross contamination that can make you ill.

1 minute ago, williamweb said:

 Poor hygiene of staff resulting in bacterial cross contamination that can make you ill.

One of the positives in this whole thing, people wash their hands more! In decades I have witnessed mens hygiene when using public facilities has been atrocious, so delighted that many now wash their hands as a matter of terrified habit!

2 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

One of the positives in this whole thing, people wash their hands more! In decades I have witnessed mens hygiene when using public facilities has been atrocious, so delighted that many now wash their hands as a matter of terrified habit!

Q:how long is good hygiene going to last😀

8 minutes ago, williamweb said:

Q:how long is good hygiene going to last😀

A: how long is a roll of Andrex !

1 minute ago, unofix said:

A: how long is a roll of Andrex !

That's easy, about 20m LOL (200 sheets at about 100mm length)

10 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

That's easy, about 20m LOL (200 sheets at about 100mm length)

So the middle of next week in our household.😀