The UK is mandating people wear masks before entering shops starting on July 24. Anyone not observing the mask mandate will be subject to a fine of £100.
The law states that cloth masks, scarves or other wraps that don’t require the use of hands to keep them in place are acceptable.
This in spite of warning labels on the packaging for masks that expressly say they don’t protect against Covid19 or other viruses.
“There is literally no evidence that re-usable cloth masks are effective in community settings. None,” writes Allison Pearson in an op-ed in The Telegraph. “It’s like wearing a tin foil hat in case you get struck by lightening – an ineffective way to protect yourself from an almost non-existent risk. What has become of us?”
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the mask mandate would “give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops.” But many are saying they will have the opposite effect – people will just avoid shops altogether.
The Chair of the London Metropolitan Police Foundation has also complained that the mask mandate is completely unenforceable.
Governor Brian Kemp recently barred cities and towns in Georgia from mandating the wearing of masks for the same reason.
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