[nffc]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

So we have to wear masks again (I have no problem with that) but you don't need them in cinemas or pubs! Two places where people are going to be in close proximity.

Crazy!

I've thought about that one - and specifically where they have applied it.


The full list, incidentally, is on the gov site
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-face-covering

In England, you must wear a face covering in the following indoor settings (examples are given in brackets):

• shops and supermarkets (places which offer goods or services for retail sale or hire)
• shopping centres (malls and indoor markets)
• auction houses
• post offices, banks, building societies, high street solicitors and accountants, credit unions, short-term loan providers, savings clubs and money service businesses
• estate and letting agents
• premises providing personal care and beauty treatments (barbers, hair salons, tattoo and piercing studios, nail salons and massage centres)
• pharmacies
• premises providing veterinary services
• retail galleries
• retail travel agents
• takeaways without space for consumption of food or drink on premises
• public transport (aeroplanes, trains, trams, buses, coaches and ferries), taxis and private hire vehicles
• any car or small van during a professionally delivered driving lesson, a practical driving test, or during one of the practical tests for giving driving instruction, and in all HGV lessons and tests
• transport hubs (airports, rail and tram stations and terminals, maritime ports and terminals, bus and coach stations and terminals)

On the point regarding hospitality, then this is the reason why:

Face coverings are not legally required in hospitality settings given that they cannot be worn while eating and drinking (see the ‘When you do not need to wear a face covering’ section below).

In fact, it was somewhat silly that you had to wear one before, when going in and out, but not when sat at the table. Provided people keep apart moving around is less of a risk than being sat talking after all. It's like some offices where you have to wear one when moving around but not when you're sat at your desk talking, where's the virus going to build up if you have it?


They probably have cinemas and other settings covered by the below, but note this isn't a legal requirement, and comes under the "consider wearing one in crowded indoor spaces" guidance which has always been the case since lifting the mask mandate:

You should continue to wear a face covering in other indoor places that are not listed above, which are crowded and enclosed and where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet.

Also, the (self-declared) exceptions still apply and if you can't perform a task with a face covering on (such as paying for something in a shop with face id or similar) you can remove it for that task.


Thinking about the list of places, and given we don't know the facts about Omicron yet, it seems that these are places where if you need to go then you need to - even if you are immunocompromised and at risk from the virus, so this tries to help reduce the spread in these settings - but pubs, cinemas, concerts, places of worship, museums, art galleries etc you have the choice to go to.


It's also a bit daft as always there are inconsistencies - for example if you are in a museum you don't have to in the museum itself but not the shop. And a takeaway you have to if it has no facility to sit and eat in - but if it does, even if you're not using it, you don't.