To Mask or not to two - Mask Megathread cont.

I suppose I agree with you that if we cannot even agree on what constitutes a restriction then we will not see eye to eye but I apologise for saying you’re being disingenuous. I don’t agree that normal life is not effected by mask wearing but I suppose that goes hand in hand with not agreeing on what a restriction is.

I’m surprised by your statement that “shops & customers can carry on their business\shopping with capacity limits and distancing.” Do I understand correctly that you don’t see those as restrictions, either? Is it a case that anything that does not completely stop an activity from happening is not a restriction?

Yeah, we definitely disagree and I don’t want to just argue in circles until we’re both angry and shouting; there’s enough of that on these threads already. Thanks for chatting with me about this. It’s the first time I can actually understand why someone would accept a continuation of (what I would argue are) restrictions.

...

It seems to stem from these reports in the media from Australia...

In Sydney, Australia, several people were infected in “fleeting” non-physical contact in a cafe and a shopping mall. CCTV footage revealed two people walking past each other while at a mall transmitting the virus...

Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young decided to close the state’s borders to people from Sydney hotspots, telling The Guardian, “with the Delta variant, we’re seeing very fleeting contact leading to transmission. At the start of this pandemic, I spoke about 15 minutes of close contact being a concern. Now it looks like it’s five to 10 seconds that’s a concern. The risk is so much higher now than it was only a year ago.”

Several individuals in Australia were also infected with the Kappa variant through lingering virus aerosol particles in the hallway of a quarantine hotel in May. Though the individuals had no direct contact with each other they opened the doors to their hotel rooms within 30 minutes of each other and tested positive for the same strain. The incident led to more than 300 potential sites of exposure and more than 17,000 people potentially exposed to the virus, resulting in the state of Victoria locking down. A similar event occurred earlier in April where two families quarantining in rooms next to one another were found to share the same viral sequence, after briefly opening their doors 30 minutes apart.   

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/06/28/infection-through-fleeting-contact-with-the-delta-variant-leads-to-lockdowns-across-australia/?sh=4940407e5d4f

In other countries many see masks as liberty. A good way to stay safe, keep others safe and move around while the virus is circulating.

Once again with the digs, the exagerations and the "nonsense".

You can also sit infront of the computer waiting for me to reply instantly with a helmut on your bump.

The restriction is all in your head.

Fair enough the digs weren't necessary.

But it is nonsense all the same. When we lift restrictions including mask wearing in most places including relatively higher risk places but not in all places that is admitting that it is no longer the public health situation that drives the mask mandate. That it is merely left in place as an assurance to the cautious/fearful who we created in the first place with our 18 months long fear campaign. We've dug ourselves into a hole and now we're struggling to get out.

When the mask mandate is lifted, you will probably continue to view somebody wearing a mask as somebody who is still feeling the effects of the "18 month long fear campaign". The fantasy narration will continue to play in your head.

When the mask mandate is lifted, I will continue to view somebody wearing a mask as just that, somebody wearing a mask.

The real hole diggers are the Anti-maskers, digging holes for yourselves, but no doubt that will go over your head.

I think you get caught up in your own views as much as I do.

When you read my post again you will find that I said nothing about what views I will have on somebody wearing a mask after the mask mandate is lifted. I am only on about the mask mandate in fact not being lifted yet and not even being lifted after October 22 and why I think that is.

I dont know when eventually it will be lifted and I'm sure some people will continue to wear masks after that. And yes I will have my views on them but its not going to be me looking down on them. Isn't that what matters?

Isn't it funny how we went with no masks at the beginning. And when restrictions are being lifted, masks remain?

UCC taking masks very seriously...

A UCC spokesperson said that students are required to wear face coverings when attending lectures, and that lanyards would be made available to those with a medical exemption...

In an email circulated to students in one faculty in recent weeks, University College Cork told students that lecturers will ask them to wear a mask or leave the lecture hall if they turn up to a classroom without a face covering. A source told The Journal that lecturers at the faculty could call security if requests to wear a mask were not complied with and that, if security cannot show up in a timely manner, the lecturer may instead end the lecture, which would not be repeated.

https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-university-warning-security-face-masks-5556270-Sep2021/

I think yes no longer required by government, but institutions and workplaces could in theory still require them. Especially college who seem to have a lot of leeway with their own regs.

doesn't explicitly say https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/83946-public-health-measures-that-will-come-into-place-in-october/

Harris promised free masks for college students, has that happened?

https://twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD/status/1433678258894254135

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1433333561831170050

How will all these lifting of restrictions work on October 22?

Let's say if my workplace keeps face masks... But no social distancing and crammed into the canteen for lunch. What's the point of face masks when not in the canteen then? Or even what's the point of getting rid of social distancing?