Face masks are now more of political statement than a help to public health, a Government scientist has claimed.
Professor Clifford Stott, a social psychologist at Keele University and member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B) subgroup of SAGE, said coverings have ‘become politicised’.
No10 scrapped the laws mandating face masks indoors on July 19 ‘Freedom Day’ but ministers have continued to encourage people to wear them in crowded settings.
And Professor Stott told LBC: ‘We know, obviously, wearing masks, particularly in crowded, poorly ventilated environments, has a big impact on the levels of transmission that can take place.
‘But, I think, particularly now, wearing a mask is also communicating to others a sense of responsibility, and I think that’s a key issue in mask-wearing now, unfortunately.’
Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows 92 per cent of people said they wore a face mask last week. Only a third of those said they wore one on public transport while 92 per cent said they did while shopping.
Professor Stott added: ‘I think the data that we do have shows that the majority of the public do want to retain some legal infrastructure around there — so I think the latest data was around about 67 per cent of the population.
‘I think the argument that we should be having here is that it’s about the way that the broader relaxation of the Government’s position over the virus is effectively communicating to people that transmission is no longer that important.
‘Yet at the same time, of course, we’re seeing this rise and very heavy spread of the delta variant.’
Professor Clifford Stott (pictured), a social psychologist at Keele University and member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B) subgroup of SAGE, said face masks have ‘become politicised’
Sadiq Khan has said that failing to wear a face mask on the Tube should become a criminal offence unless people are exempt (stock photo)
Britain ‘WON’T need to lockdown’ this winter to stop new Covid wave
Britain will not need another lockdown to stop another Covid wave this winter, scientists have said after official data showed the outbreak is shrinking.
The Office for National Statistics claimed 722,300 people were infected on any given day in the seven-day spell ending July 31 — the equivalent of one in 75 people. This marked a 15 per cent drop on the week before, when the toll was upwards of 850,000.
And SAGE member ‘Professor Lockdown’ Neil Ferguson — who’s grim modelling led to the first lockdown — said he now believes the pandemic is something the UK will be able to manage with vaccines rather than ‘crisis measures’.
He told The Times: ‘I think it’s unlikely we will need a new lockdown or even social distancing measures of the type we’ve had so far.’
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It comes after Sadiq Khan said that failing to wear a face mask on the Tube should become a criminal offence.
The London Mayor has been pushing the the government to allow Transport for London (TfL) to impose a by-law requiring face coverings on the capital’s transport network.
Since the easing of restrictions on July 19 ‘Freedom Day’, passengers have only been required to wear a covering as a ‘condition of carriage’ rather than a legal requirement.
This means TfL staff can tell non-compliant customers to leave a bus or train but are powerless to impose fines.
But Mr Khan now wants a bye-law put in place to effectively bring back the rule that was dropped on July 19.
The rule change would also mean British Transport Police officers could be used to enforce it.
Speaking to the BBC’s Newscast podcast Mr Khan said: ‘We are trying to lobby the Government to allow us to bring in a bye-law, so it will be the law again, so we can issue fixed penalty notices and we can use the police service and BTP to enforce this.’
‘We need people to be coming back to the West End. We want to encourage people to return to their offices.
‘They are not going to do so if they don’t feel public transport is safe.
‘I’m hoping the Government understands, on the issue of public safety and public confidence, we want to be able to use the law to make sure people do wear face masks in spaces where you can’t keep your social distance for obvious reasons.’
A decision taken by Mr Khan weeks ago means that face coverings are still compulsory on the Tube despite other transport networks choosing not to make them a requirement
Since the July 19 rule change Transport for London has said the overall compliance rate for wearing face masks remains high at 85 per cent
The London Mayor has been pushing the the government to allow Transport for London ( TfL ) to impose a by-law requiring face coverings on the capital’s transport network
A decision taken by Mr Khan weeks ago means that face coverings are still compulsory on the Tube despite other transport networks choosing not to make them a requirement.
However since the change TfL has said the overall compliance rate remains high at 85 per cent.
The public remains broadly behind the wearing of masks, with 64 per cent of adults in Great Britain saying they still plan to cover their faces in shops, and the same percentage saying they would do so on public transport.
Airlines still mandate mask wearing, while pubs, visitor attractions and local travel companies have all come up with their own rules.
Announcing the rule change in July, the Government said it ‘expects and recommends’ masks to be worn by workers and customers in crowded, enclosed spaces such as public transport.
Public Health England (PHE) said staff, patients and visitors in all NHS settings must continue to wear face coverings and observe social distancing.
Where do you still have to wear face coverings?
What are the rules on wearing masks in England?
People are no longer required by law to wear face coverings in certain settings now the remaining restrictions in England have been lifted.
But the latest guidance, issued in July, says the Government ‘expects and recommends’ masks to be worn by workers and customers in crowded, enclosed spaces such as public transport.
Does this mean that people do not need to carry masks with them anymore?
It is probably best not to be too quick to throw away your mask.
Health leaders, local politicians, shop bosses and transport chiefs have all said that they will continue to require or encourage people to wear face coverings.
This means that face coverings may be required in some premises, on some bus and train services, hospitals and GP surgeries.
Do people still need masks to go to the shops?
Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s on Wednesday said it would encourage all customers to continue wearing face coverings from July 19 if they can.
Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons and Waitrose also came out to say they will encourage customers and staff to continue wearing masks in their supermarkets from when restrictions ease.
Staff and customers at Waitrose and John Lewis have also been recommended to continue wearing masks but the John Lewis Partnership said it will ultimately be up to individual judgment.
How about public transport?
Face coverings will continue to be compulsory in some locally operated public transport spaces.
People in West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire will have to continue wearing face masks in bus stations operated by the combined authorities, while passengers using the Metro in the North East will also be required to wear a face covering.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also said face coverings will be required on Transport for London (TfL) services as a ‘condition of carriage’.
This means enforcement officers would be able to deny access or eject passengers found to be non-compliant while using the TfL network.
Face coverings will also remain compulsory on Greater Manchester’s Metrolink tram services and the Heathrow Express.
What about other transport providers?
Cross-Channel train firm Eurostar, airlines such as British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair, plus Heathrow Airport will continue to require passengers to wear face coverings.
Heathrow Express, which operates services to London Paddington, said face coverings will remain mandatory.
But all other train companies such as Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and Southeastern, plus major bus and coach companies including National Express and Megabus, will not demand mask-wearing.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), which represents major bus and coach operators such as National Express and Megabus, has also said that its members will not mandate the wearing of face coverings.
Minicab hailing app Uber has also said drivers and passengers will continue to be required to wear a mask even though they will no longer be required by law.
– Does this mean different parts of the country have different rules on public transport?
Elected regional mayors across England have warned that without a continued national mandate there would be a ‘ridiculous mismatch’ of rules across the country that will be ‘confusing’ for passengers.
The Labour metro mayors for West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North of Tyne, West of England and South Yorkshire have urged the Government to continue to make face coverings compulsory on all public transport beyond the lifting of restrictions.
What about going to a hospital or GP appointment?
Staff, patients and visitors in all NHS settings must continue to wear face coverings and observe social distancing, Public Health England (PHE) has said.
PHE said infection prevention measures and visiting guidance will continue across all health services including hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, optometrists and pharmacies, to ensure patients and staff are protected.
Staff, patients and visitors will be expected to continue to follow social distancing rules when visiting any care setting, as well as using face coverings and other personal protection equipment.
And offices?
It is up to individual employers to decide.
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