No problem taking my custom elsewhere as I don't have any particular favourites. More of the same from unions and shop-owner reps https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0716/1153645-phase-4-coronavirus-covid19/
It's not about enforcement or "policing" as the RTE report quotes some reps as saying, good example and a caring attitude can change behaviour. If not then let's try a few sticks!They'll quickly get the message when they lose custom to businesses that are more fastidious in enforcing safety measures.
My son lived in Beijing for 3 years so I know all about the poor air quality there. He now lives in Hong Kong but has visited many Chinese cities. Yes, the air quality was poor but that is not the only reason why people wore masks. One of the reasons they wore masks was out of consideration to others. As you said "You'd even notice many Asian people in Ireland wearing face masks back then too". As Ireland had no "smog" why do you think that these people were wearing masks?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
Mask wearing in Asia also increased after the last SARS outbreak.
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.
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.
Well we are being asked to wear them now so I guess that the thinking is that masks help prevent the spread of this disease. If it helps prevent the spread now then it would have helped back in March/April/May. I definitely think the situation would have been "better" if we had all worn masks from the outset.
See I just don't get that. If these are the highly skilled healthcare professionals that they tell us that we are so lucky to have then why do they need to be told they have to wear masks? Would they not just wear them anyway?There are complaints from nurses unions that it took the HSE far too long to adopt a policy of general mask usage in healthcare settings and this was one of the reasons why our healthcare worker infection rate is so high.
See I just don't get that. If these are the highly skilled healthcare professionals that they tell us that we are so lucky to have then why do they need to be told they have to wear masks? Would they not just wear them anyway?
I heard that claim but haven't seen any evidence to back it up. It's not as if nurses and healthcare employees medical professionals don't all have militant Unions. Are the claiming they were afraid to speak up?Apparently it was HSE policy not to wear them except in specific settings and disciplinary procedures were even threatened against some staff for doing do when on general duties.
I heard that claim but haven't seen any evidence to back it up. It's not as if nurses and healthcare employees medical professionals don't all have militant Unions. Are the claiming they were afraid to speak up?
As Ireland had no "smog" why do you think that these people were wearing masks?
And more than 3 million globally.In fairness, Dublin and other urban areas regularly exceed WHO safe limits on airborne pollutants. ~1,200 premature deaths pa are attributed to air pollution here .
My son lived in Beijing for 3 years so I know all about the poor air quality there. He now lives in Hong Kong but has visited many Chinese cities. Yes, the air quality was poor but that is not the only reason why people wore masks. One of the reasons they wore masks was out of consideration to others. As you said "You'd even notice many Asian people in Ireland wearing face masks back then too". As Ireland had no "smog" why do you think that these people were wearing masks?
I have been wearing a mask in supermarkets since early March. These were available online, there were also builder's type masks available in Woodies, Brooks and other similar shops.
Leper, I see that you gave a thumbs up to this post. If you support this statement then I am surprised that you were not one of the first people to wear a mask back in early March. Your comment "I won't be wearing a face mask or plastic gloves mainly because (i) they are almost ineffective" seems to suggest that you are going to stick with the "smog" theory on the one hand but accept that they were also worn because of the SARS outbreak.
Well we are being asked to wear them now so I guess that the thinking is that masks help prevent the spread of this disease. If it helps prevent the spread now then it would have helped back in March/April/May. I definitely think the situation would have been "better" if we had all worn masks from the outset.
I wear a mask (only started recently), and I hope others do to, where required to do so. I see a lot of people evangelising masks not so much for the public health benefits but to hear themselves telling other people what to do and then judging them publically when they don't.
Wear a mask, then mind your own business.
I have family-members who are in the vulnerable category. Their safety and well-being is my business.Wear a mask, then mind your own business.