President of Royal Society tells people to wear masks in crowded places

CORONAVIRUS: PRESIDENT OF ROYAL SOCIETY TELLS PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS IN CROWDED PLACES.

It has been announced today that Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, the head of the UK’s national academy of science, that face coverings should be worn “whenever you are in crowded public spaces”. He said that there is evidence to suggest that they protect both the person wearing the mask and those around them. He also added that the UK was “way behind” in their usage of masks. He blamed “inconsistent and unclear” messaging surrounding masks as the reasoning behind why the public are skeptical about their effectiveness. He added: “What we would like for the government is to be a bit stronger and clearer about the messaging and require it whenever you are in crowded public spaces where you cannot get more than two metres away from the next person.

“If you’re in a crowded setting, you ought to wear a mask.”

The government has said that face coverings can be made at home from cloth, and do not need to be hospital-standard masks.

Currently in the UK face coverings are compulsory on public transport, and should be worn by anyone who is visiting a hospital. People visiting shops are advised to wear a face covering, however at this current time it is not mandatory.

“In late April, only about 25% of people in the UK wore face coverings, compared to 83.4% in Italy, 65.8% in the United States and 63.8% in Spain, according to one of the reports, which examined the factors limiting the take-up.”

Not wearing a face covering should be regarded as “anti-social” in the same way as drink driving or failing to wear a seatbelt, Prof Ramakrishnan said.

“Not doing so increases the risk for everyone, from NHS workers to your grandmother,” he said.
Face coverings are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 via droplets. The government recommend a fabric face covering as this does not deplete stocks of medical grade facemasks that are needed by healthcare workers. To shop our range of ethically and sustainably manufactured reusable designer face coverings, visit https://bagsofethics.org/shop/.
Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53316491