Minister rejects face coverings for office workers

Mr Hancock said face coverings were effective"in a shop or public transport, for instance, when you're with somebody for a reasonable amount of time - a few minutes - but not all day."

"The point is when you're in interaction with people who you aren't normally with, that's where the mask may be particularly helpful."Shoppers in England will need to wear face coverings from 24 July Mr Hancock said the public needed to get used to wearing face coverings in shops and at NHS facilities"for the foreseeable future".It comes after it was announced those who fail to comply with the new rules on wearing face coverings in England's shops will face a fine of up to £100.Coronavirus: How to wear a face coveringScotland already requires shoppers to cover their faces while Wales and Northern Ireland are both weighing similar policies.

Mr Hancock told the Commons on Tuesday the new rule would"give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops". Mask-wearing has been compulsory on public transport in England and at NHS facilities across the UK since 15 June.

If that's the case it makes a mockery of his reasoning!

Individual companies can make their own policies about face coverings.

People are going to shout from the roof top as its one law for one and one law for another, as these in power have lost the plot, as those who say its OK to wear one, want to think about those who have hidden health issues as its like hiding under the blanket and suffocating.

Tomorrow’s headline; ‘Face coverings mandatory for office workers in England’

He is a villain

That defeats the purpose of wearing a mask We all have to wear the mask when we are not at home, regardless what the scientific say We have to kill this before it kills more of us I know, it’s not ur thing to wear a mask But not wearing a mask will not bring normal life back soon

so i don’t have to wear one in the office with people sat close to each all day but in and out a shop in 5 minutes i do 🤔

Expect mandatory use of masks in offices in 3 weeks....

Why not? It is a little inconvenience with big payback.

Isn’t that what they said the day before they announced there would be mandatory mask wearing in all retail outlets?

Fake news incoming

So, we can expect an announcement stating that is precisely what will be happening in a month or two then ...

If halfcock says no masks in offices employers best stock up because masks in offices are definately coming soon.

What about teachers!?

Masks for construction sites please.

But they’re needed in all other indoor spaces? What bro science are you working from exactly ?

Masks mandatory in offices to be announced tomorrow then 😆

BBCPolitics

So it will come in some time next week then. Gotcha.

Say what 🔥

Here we go again! More bloody dithering by the inept Handcock. Wear a mask or work from home to prevent more deaths.

So that means there are.

... next week masks to be worn in offices and pubs

BBCPolitics So will be policy by 10 pm.

Shall we expect it next week then?

So I must wear a mask inside a shop/20 minute food shop (been doing that all along anyway) but if I wanted to grab a £10 Rishi meal deal (Mon/Wed only) & sit inside/an hour+ then no need. Ditto, pub, get drunk & forget about social distancing, hug friends etc, again, no mask...

People also don't have to wear masks to the local newsagents...

That’s as reassuring as the board’s vote of confidence in the football manager.

For the moment that is. They'll probably change their minds tomorrow. And then do a U-turn next week. The most indecisive government ever.

So in two weeks it will be ToryShambles

BBCPolitics Probably be policy with in a week

All you white collar dudes can rejoice in that news okay. MattHancock Think about those grubby 'blue collar' types, sweating in Chinese steelmills up North. Have to get them fitted up first! EstherMcVey1 DehennaDavison LenMcCluskey visit_wuhan

Hancock's Half Hour - the farce returns...

Incompetent government, all the u-turns will lead to a dead end and unnecessary misery for the people

Mandatory on public transport & in shops, but not for staff. Not mandatory in pubs/restaurants/offices for reasons other than spread of the virus. Flatten the curve then protect the NHS then await a vaccine. This is not about a virus, it is about control resistthemaskholes

These people are a crazy bunch!!! Get your act together, this face mask guidance is inconsistent...are the persons in the office from the same household? Do they get to work via the same mode of transportation?

BBCPolitics For those that wear specs, try this, it stops the wearer walking into walls 😳

BBCWorld does this include NHS and people working in care home officer's, does covid19 identify and exclude them? so wrong.

Living in Thailand where EVERYONE has to wear a mask or you get a 500 GBP fine.. this whole wear it in shops but not the office is stupid. You wear it when you are outside your home. There are clear faceshields you can wear... Just put the £& ING mask on and stop moaning

Reason is paper masks which is what the government see most people using are only effective for short time then they start concentrating germs you breath out. That's why we ditched them years ago in hospitals. They are a walking germ factory. Fine for little time that's it.

Breaking news 1st August 2020: face coverings to be worn in offices.

Can anyone explain to me why shop workers are exempt from wearing masks? Surely as much risk coming from them to customers as the other way round?

Hey, you got ratioed: 1.38 at the time of this response (119 replies, 86 likes).

Wait 24hrs

Wait a week..... Matt Hancock “face masks are mandatory from next week for office workers” bellend

Disgraceful! 😂😂😂

Why wear them in shops then?!

BBCPolitics Well, if it's anything like my office, that's fine because there's literally nobody there.

MattHancock many offices have poor ventilation. Many people could be silent carriers. And you don’t go and hug everyone at workplace but if a mask offers protection for the minute you speak with an infected colleague that’s enough! BorisJohnson

Until next week?

It would be unworkable. An entire office, mine has over 200 people, sat for 8 hours in a mask? Torture.

At this moment no...not today...this week ...no, however, given the track record of changing your mind it could be next week.

It's a very selective 'deadly virus' and very well behaved to avoid offices and pubs, just sticking to the shops.....and only the shop customers, not shop staff....🙄 can we see why this mandating of masks by law is bullshit yet? 🤔

Give it a few weeks, Boris will come out and say masks are mandatory in offices.

Will be mandatory by next week then, going on past performance

MAsks didnt help CHinese population getting covid19.

Lucky. Otherwise more white bus drivers would be beaten to death of men of colour.

People have to play their part he says ... ironic coming from a politician whose colleagues broke the lockdown rules with no fines and no consequence & used driving to test one’s eyes as the most bizarre story I have ever heard from a political advisor MattHancock BorisJohnson

Get ready to rumble. In this corner we have the people and in the opposite corner we have challenger, Covid-19 (said in loud announcer voice) coronavirus LetsSeeWhoWins

In other words there are plans ...

You’d think everyone in the uk works in a bloody office.........

Then all desk spaces should be separated/shielded by plastic screens with overhead air extraction covering the whole office area. Not a great expense for health and safety in the office workplace! Then masked for entering and leaving the office area for breaks, lunch, loo etc.

I’m still trying to find out who is exempt cos I think customers are just gonna lie but one on the government list is “cultural reasons” what culture is exempt from wearing a mask?

Can't they just say wear a mask if you're outside your own home?

Maybe another one for the 'Government' to introduce behind the curve? FaceMasks in the office.

ok to be wearing face mask but what about the people with COPD who can't breathe properly and they going to be looked up all day

they'll be compulsory by the end of next week then.

No plans , so next Thursday then once the media hysteria kicks into high gear

Why not?

But tomorrow?

Of course not. Covid19 doesn't exist at work in the air conditioned buildings. It's a well behaved virus. Or the pubs, restaurants and everywhere else. You only find it in ASDA. 😂🤣😂 You do realise that this government are laughing at us.

I’m surprised that it is still an issue and a debatable topic. Face coverings should have been mandatory from the very first day of a lockdown, with no exceptions- virus does not choose.

Better get your masks ready for the office then 😂 U-turn will happen in around a month I calculate.

What about betting shops ? Do you wear one in a betting shop ?

Joke of a government. Need to be held responsible for the shambolic way they’ve dealt with this. They’ve cost thousands of lives!

DEFUND the BBC

Doesn't he work in an office?

The rules become more & more barmy by the day: wearing masks to go into a shop for 5 minutes where you might meet a dozen or two others is compulsory but being in an office or school with 500+ isn't. Is everyone else struggling with the idiotic inconsistency of these morons?!

The huge office I work in has complied with all the guidance. Desk moves & majority home working means we can distance. Masks are unnecessary here.

Wonder whether MattHancock will change his mind after a few COVID19 outbreaks in open plan offices?

Good... Two wrongs don't make a right...😉

Thank you so much Matt! Baaaaaaaabaaaaa

So mask mandatory in offices from Monday then ! This Government is World Class in U turns

Let's cover our faces everywhere but then spread virus in the office of 100 😂 Why do we pay these people!

💀

Give it 48 hours and I’m sure these fuckers will flip like a fuckin fish

Sure, that makes sense.

Imbeciles. We are run by utter imbeciles.

Better go ge some extras for work then.

Inevitably they will back track - that’s their ‘track’ record

This week

LOL. So that’ll be happening then.

WTF

Thank goodness. How on earth are you supposed to talk on the phone with one on

so that means mid august then

BorisHasFailedTheUK SackHancock

But what if we have come from the shops!!!!! Mad nonsense again

That means it will happen.🙄

I await the U turn

So, that'll happen next week, then.

This will be u-turned on in about a week or so's time! CoronaFarce

They said the same about shoppers?

Guessing that means it'll happen by the end of the week then.

What the fuck is this? Utterly bizarre but then what isn’t from this bunch of complete and utter idiots.

Opening too quickly has serious consequences. Everyone wants to be back to normal life, business, vacations...But, controlling the covid situation should be a prerequisite.

United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Should workers wear face coverings in the office?UK employers are focusing on social distancing to ease staff back into the office – but that's not to say face masks can't play a role too Ridiculous genius Oh dear, is no one going to do a little research? NoToMasks
Source: The Telegraph - 🏆 41. / 63 Read more »

Coronavirus - all you need to know as government split on face masksTory Justice Secretary Robert Buckland this morning muddied the waters further by saying 'perhaps' face coverings should be mandatory - despite experts calling for this to be the case
Source: The Mirror - 🏆 136. / 51 Read more »

Steve Bell on Johnson and Trump finally wearing masks — cartoonRetailers and police must both play a role in enforcing the use of face coverings by shoppers in England, a cabinet minister has said after officers said the law would be unenforceable Terrible The guardian comic does it again, pure childish. Only predsednikrs avucic resists that challenge.
Source: The Guardian - 🏆 84. / 53 Read more »

Why Boris Johnson is having to sacrifice his libertarian values in the battle against coronavirusThe Prime Minister went against his natural instincts when he made face coverings in shops mandatory this week 'He's a libertarian at heart' doesn't hold much sway when you look at the last four months. It's babble. If it's to reassure folks, it can be done by changing the rhetoric and sharing good news (show leadership) & stop the media sensationalising bad news with no evidence.Govt needs to control the message. No point paying people to go out but saying they'll die if don't wear a mask. Well the KBF would argue he is being too much liberal. Boris has no natural instincts. What you think are natural instincts are just presumptions to push your narrative
Source: The Telegraph - 🏆 41. / 63 Read more »

Who is exempt from wearing face coverings in England?Face coverings are to become compulsory in shops in England from 24 July Nazis who force people to wear muzzles will face severe consequences Small children under the age of 11 and the extremely vulnerable who can't wear them either. We wear masks to protect them as well as ourselves. And yes, masks do work both ways otherwise PPE wouldn't be so important. Everyone! - This is nothing more than political theatre & a sign of compliance!
Source: The Independent - 🏆 80. / 59 Read more »

'About bleedin' time' welcome for masks in shopsMost of the papers lead on face coverings becoming mandatory in English shops from 25 July. See if they implemented these rules earlier the virus might not have spread as much, but then again people are stupid and will find a way Do you support face coverings being compulsory?
Source: BBCNews - 🏆 3. / 97 Read more »