Should wearing masks be made compulsory in public?

[MenInG]

The UK government is set to recommend that the use of scarves or homemade cloth coverings could prevent the spread of coronavirus in some circumstances but will stop short of forcing people to use them in public.

Ministers will continue to discourage the general population from using medical face masks because they do not want to jeopardise the supplies of professional equipment to frontline health workers.

Scientists on the Sage panel of government advisers met on Tuesday and their advice is set to be presented to ministers on Thursday, with an announcement expected before the weekend.

The experts have concluded that cloth masks could help stop an asymptomatic person from infecting others in a closed environment, such as offices or public transport.

But they do not believe that cloth masks would be of much use in parks or other public spaces.

Wearing them can slow the transmission of the virus, by catching droplets of sneezes or coughs, but is not likely to prevent someone from catching the infection from another person.

The new advice on face coverings is expected to be voluntary when ministers announce revised guidance in the next two days, according to government figures.

Lifesaver or false protection: do face masks stop coronavirus?

Both scientists and ministers will emphasise that anyone exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 should isolate “full stop”. “A cloth mask is not a replacement for staying at home and nobody should think otherwise,” said one senior government figure.

There has been a discussion in Whitehall for weeks over what to recommend regarding face masks.

Britain does not produce in large quantities the kind of disposable face masks that have become commonplace in Asia since the Sars epidemic in 2002-03 and would struggle to import more in large quantities given a surge in global demand.

Because of this, senior ministers are concerned that the widespread use of masks would divert resources from National Health Service staff while the medical benefits of their use for the general public is still in dispute.

Matt Hancock, health secretary, said on Wednesday that it would not be practical to provide facial protection for everyone. “I can’t promise we will give everybody face masks — that would be an extraordinary undertaking,” he said.

Instead, Mr Hancock told MPs that his focus was ensuring protective equipment reached frontline health and care staff.

Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Thursday there was “no research evidence” to support wearing a mask for healthy people. People could be at “higher risk of picking up infection” from wearing a mask because they could touch their face more, he pointed out.

However if someone is “coughing and spluttering then it makes complete sense to wear one to protect other people”, he said.

The World Health Organization still says there is no evidence to support the use of face masks by the general population — and that they should be reserved for crucial health workers.

But their use is increasing in other countries, with the German state of Saxony making their use compulsory in shops and public transport. The French government has promised to distribute masks to the public when lockdown measures cease in the coming months.

Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, last week suggested that rather than using medical face masks people travelling on the London Underground should wear bandannas or scarves around their faces to prevent themselves from unwittingly transmitting coronavirus to other people.

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, repeated that call on Wednesday although he said ministers should follow scientific advice.

One expert told the Financial Times that the current evidence on the effectiveness of face coverings was based on the transmission of flu, meaning there is “no science” on whether it helps prevent coronavirus.

“The government will also have to take account of whether a rush to obtain masks will exacerbate a shortage in hospitals,” he said. “Even if people are told that bandannas, scarves and handkerchiefs are adequate substitutes, some will want to get hold of the real thing.”


https://www.ft.com/content/221e7d83-b2ac-415d-8462-94ef7178b174

 

[Gayle_Force]

I am against it.

I believe medical face masks should be reserved for those fighting the disease on the front line.

As the article mentions above, there is no evidence that non medical face coverings are at all effective in protection against the virus. It might just do more harm than good as people might start taking more risks having a false sense of security from the face coverings.

 

[trickyone]

We can't even get inside the grocery store without a Mask or cover their face so technically it's a must in Bahamas right now. I think it should be same everywhere.

 

[LongHorn]

The average person who wears a mask is happy because he thinks he is avoiding getting infected

Reality is surgical masks help in the wearer not transmitting stuff, and not from protecting himself from incoming germs. Its a mental satisfaction to wear it for "protection".

Now I personally wear a mask, but have not noticed I am not at 100% thinking capacity when wearing a mask for long, my reactions are slightly slower etc

The reason could be that wearing a mask is not optimal for breathing intake.....

The human body is not designed to breathe 8 to 10 hours with a mask in front of the face....

In a society which considers every single person a dangerous carrier of viruses, masks will be compulsory..... and you have to accept it if living there.....

 

[MenInG]

Desperate time for all - if masks help even in 10% of the time - lets do it!

 

[sweep_shot]

I think everyone should wear a mask.

If someone doesn't have it, he/she should make a mask at home.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I wont be wearing a mask as there is no need.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I just keep a good distance at present. That said, if you are in an environment where people cross paths regularly, like in a warehouse or in a building environment, then surely you would be exposed to the virus. The focus at present is on health workers, but public transport, supply chains and the rest are surely equally exposed?

 

[KingKhanWC]

I just keep a good distance at present. That said, if you are in an environment where people cross paths regularly, like in a warehouse or in a building environment, then surely you would be exposed to the virus. The focus at present is on health workers, but public transport, supply chains and the rest are surely equally exposed?

I used to a keep a distance but realised people move out of my way. Im sure this has to do with people being paranoid not because I look scary.

 

[LongHorn]

People are conditioned to believe whatever the "law" says

6 weeks back wearing the mask wasn't law, so most people did not
Now that it is, the same people are convinced that a surgical mask will protect them from catching a virus (not true)

Same for gloves
I am seeing angry people at my FB community group, complaining not everyone jogging is wearing gloves, but gloves don't protect you any more , unless you change gloves every time you touch something
But if the law says gloves have to be wearing, people will wear it and say "I wear gloves so I don't catch the virus"

https://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/pm-wearing-a-mask-doesnt-protect-you/4001990/



Deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly also urged against the general public wearing face masks if they are healthy, saying using a mask incorrectly can make it "more dangerous".

"So for example, if you are not used to wearing a mask, it can become quite uncomfortable, even claustrophobic," he said during a press conference.

"And indeed, it can become quite itchy underneath the mask. So touching a surface with the virus, scratching yourself underneath the mask, can in fact increase your risk rather than decrease your risk."

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

No because it will become a logistical nightmare for authorities who are already overburdened as things stand.

 

[saeedhk]

Here in Hong Kong, 100% of the population is wearing a mask. This is the reason we have had only three deaths despite being a part of China.

 

[Arsal_AK]

Yes. They help crub the infection, more precisely they help protect others from a carrier and depending on how you wear it, offer adequate to good protection as well. Viral load could very well be the difference between getting a mild or a severe disease.

 

[MenInG]

Atleast 3M are doing well!


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[Cpt. Rishwat]

Latest advice is that even a piece of cloth can prevent the spread of Covid-19, so I am now thinking the world needs to move towards wearing burkas. Far more comfortable than facemasks, and more easily available to the wider public.

 

[MenInG]

The UK government is not advising everyone to wear face masks, says Prof Angela McLean.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Scottish government recommended people should cover their faces while in some enclosed public spaces, such as shops and public transport.

Some experts have suggested face coverings are a common sense way of reducing the spread of coronavirus.

But the World Health Organization’s current advice is that only people showing symptoms and those caring for them should be wearing face masks.

For the general public, there is concern that masks may become contaminated and that they might offer a false sense of security.

It says hand washing and social distancing are more effective.

 

[LongHorn]

Viruses are way smaller than regular mask filters and can thus pass through surgical masks.

Its mostly a placebo effect, same as wearing gloves all day or these nifty "sanitation stations" that sprays your clothes with anti bacterial stuff before entering a shop.

of course if you sneeze into air versus sneezing into a mask, then a mask helps in stopping some of the droplets from being ejected (best is to sneeze to your elbow)

And walking around with a mask you have been wearing for few hours isnt healthy either

I am not the only person who finds it difficult to breathe for 8 hours wearing a mask, so lets see where we end up with the guidelines

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">VP Pence currently touring the Mayo Clinic--and seems to be the only one not wearing a mask <a href="https://t.co/uJz549k6BR">pic.twitter.com/uJz549k6BR</a></p>— Sara Cook (@saraecook) <a href="https://twitter.com/saraecook/status/1255195332721487874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Bigboii]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">VP Pence currently touring the Mayo Clinic--and seems to be the only one not wearing a mask <a href="https://t.co/uJz549k6BR">pic.twitter.com/uJz549k6BR</a></p>— Sara Cook (@saraecook) <a href="https://twitter.com/saraecook/status/1255195332721487874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It's good for the country that he is not wearing a mask

 

[saeedhk]

Countries and leaders who advised against wearing masks are suffering. Height of incompetency!

 

[Thomaskutty]

^ Interesting. Hong Kong's example is clear - masks do work! Why did countries needlessly shut down their economy? Should've just mandated that everyone wear masks and get on with life, and fine heavily anyone that steps out without a mask.

Instead, because of this covid lockdown , now there's an additional mess of massive unemployment to deal with.

 

[James]

Not medical masks, because health workers need those — but I honestly don’t see the harm in recommending that members of the public who leave the house must first cover their mouths with an improvised piece of cloth, a scarf, or the roll-up from a turtleneck jumper.

 

[LongHorn]

^ Interesting. Hong Kong's example is clear - masks do work! Why did countries needlessly shut down their economy? Should've just mandated that everyone wear masks and get on with life, and fine heavily anyone that steps out without a mask.

Instead, because of this covid lockdown , now there's an additional mess of massive unemployment to deal with.

Hong Kong did plenty of other stuff they did apart from masks that helped them...

 

[Firebat]

Even though the science on the helpfulness of masks is a bit weak, I still think theoretically if they can stop transmission of the virus even a little bit then any little precaution must be taken. It's not that big of an inconvenience anyway, and if people find it so uncomfortable or inconvenient to wear all the time then it might encourage a few more people to stay home more, so I think it would be a positive thing.

 

[saeedhk]

Hong Kong did plenty of other stuff they did apart from masks that helped them...

Mainly masks and social distancing. I have not seen a single person not wearing a mask in Hong Kong in the last two months.

Public facilities were closed and gatherings were banned a month back. Schools have been closed since 1st February.

HK is (almost) free of Coronovirus because social distancing measures were implemented strictly. They are police officers carrying measuring tapes who go to restaurants and make sure that people are sitting at least 1.5 meters apart.

If you ask me, wearing masks were the key to eradicating Coronavirus in Hong Kong.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

^ Interesting. Hong Kong's example is clear - masks do work! Why did countries needlessly shut down their economy? Should've just mandated that everyone wear masks and get on with life, and fine heavily anyone that steps out without a mask.

Instead, because of this covid lockdown , now there's an additional mess of massive unemployment to deal with.

PPE equipment, including masks are in very short supply in the UK. What supply there is has been diverted to the health services, I think that is one of the reasons why the govt held back from recommending masks over here. They didn't want to cause a public rush to buy them when there was still a shortage.

 

[MenInG]

Downing Street has said ministers are still considering whether to advise the public to wear face masks, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that they could be “useful”.

He rejected suggestions there was a delay in issuing guidance, saying: “The advice that we have received based on the science shows a weak, but positive effect on transmitting of coronavirus from asymptomatic members of the public where social distancing wasn’t possible.

“What ministers need to consider is how best to produce advice for the public and that work is ongoing,” he added.

 

[Kianig89]

Our organization ordered all staff to come with masks sanitizer

 

[MenInG]

 

[Arsal_AK]

Yes, it should be a no brainier. 80% wearing masks which are say even 20% effective cuts the transmission by 40-50%. The number goes up to around 90% if the masks are 80% effective.

The figures are from a pre print but their analysis looks sounds.

 

[Arsal_AK]

Not medical masks, because health workers need those — but I honestly don’t see the harm in recommending that members of the public who leave the house must first cover their mouths with an improvised piece of cloth, a scarf, or the roll-up from a turtleneck jumper.

True. Homemade masks work too, especially ones made of cotton. The better they fit, the more protection they offer, but even at say 20% effectiveness the impact can be huge.

 

[Abdullah719]

What kind of face mask will best protect you against coronavirus?

Spoiler

Does it matter what sort of mask you wear?
Yes. Different types of mask offer different levels of protection. Surgical grade N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection, preventing the user from becoming infected with Covid-19, followed by surgical grade masks. However, these masks are costly, in limited supply, contribute to landfill waste and are uncomfortable to wear for long periods. So even countries that have required the public to wear face masks have generally suggested such masks should be reserved for health workers or those at particularly high risk.

The evidence on the protective value of single-use paper masks or reusable cloth coverings is less clear, but still suggests that face masks can contribute to reducing transmission of Covid-19. Analysis this week by the Royal Society said this included homemade cloth face masks.

Are paper surgical single-use masks better or is a cloth mask OK?
The evidence on any mask use, outside of surgical masks, is still emerging: there appears to be some benefit, but the exact parameters of which masks are the best and the extent to which they protect the wearer or those around them are still being figured out. A tighter fitting around the face is probably better, but the CDC suggests any covering, including a bandana, is better than none.

One US study investigated which household materials best removed particles of 0.3-1.0 microns in diameter, the typical size of viruses and bacteria, and concluded that good options include vacuum cleaner bags, heavyweight “quilter’s cotton” or multiple layers of material. Scarves and bandana material were less effective, but still captured a fraction of particles.

How do you take them on and off safely?
Before putting on a mask, clean your hands well with soap and water. Cover the mouth and nose with your mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask. Avoid touching the mask while using it and, if you do, wash your hands. Replace the mask when it is damp. To remove your mask, take it off using the elastic tags, without touching the front and discard immediately into a closed bin or, if the mask is reusable, directly into the washing machine.

How often do you need to wash masks?
They should be washed after each use. The US Center for Disease Control suggests “routinely”.

Is there an environmental concern?
Many commercially available masks are made from layers of plastics and are designed to be single-use. According to an analysis by scientists at University College London, if every person in the UK used one single-use mask each day for a year, an extra 66,000 tonnes of contaminated plastic waste would be created. The use of reusable masks by the general population would significantly reduce plastic waste and the climate change impact of any policy requirements for the wearing of face masks, according to the UCL team, led by Prof Mark Miodownik. They say that according to the best evidence, reusable masks perform most of the tasks of single-use masks without the associated waste stream.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...best-protect-you-against-coronavirus-covid-19

 

[The Viper]

I don't see the harm if it saves some lives.

Better to take the precautions.

 

[MenInG]

Samik Sarkar was managing to eke a profit out of his online apparel store before the coronavirus crisis hit India, forcing the 36-year old to reinvent his business overnight.

“I started selling masks because that's all I could sell,” Sarkar said. “I have salaries to pay.”

The rapid global economic slowdown, India's coronavirus lockdown of 1.3 billion people and an exodus of venture capital are testing a start-up community that has quickly become one of the world's biggest, raising a record $14.9 billion last year.

The success of Indian e-tailer Flipkart, sold for $16 billion to Walmart in 2018, helped draw in billions of dollars in funding from global venture capital firms, while United States and Chinese tech giants stalked promising prospects.

Private, online and hi-tech: the coronavirus economy

But in just a few months much of that cash has vanished, with venture capital and private equity investment in India expected to fall by 45-60 per cent this year, EY estimates.

A group of the top venture firms, including US groups Sequoia and Accel, warned start-ups this month that it will be “very difficult” to raise financing anytime soon.

Five venture capitalists told Reuters that only a few of the best companies from their existing portfolios would be able to get further funding, while most new ventures will likely be locked out for the foreseeable future.

This rapid turnaround has left scores of Indian start-ups which had been plotting expansion and fundraising considering anything and everything to keep themselves from going under.

Data from Tracxn, which monitors start-up investments and financials, shows there were 1,406 funded start-ups in India in 2019, compared with 351 in 2008.

“When you look at pre-Covid business models, half of them will not survive post-Covid,” Sudhir Sethi, founder and chairman of Bengaluru-based venture capital firm Chiratae Ventures, said.

The funding freeze has been compounded by India's move in April to step up scrutiny of investments from overseas, a move seen by some analysts as a thinly disguised deterrent to takeovers by Chinese companies, which have been big investors in India's tech industry.

And with SoftBank, another major funder of Indian start-ups, facing setbacks elsewhere there is little relief expected from the Japanese technology backer.

This leaves investors and start-ups with few alternatives but to focus on pursuing profitability and reducing cash burn, Sid Talwar, partner at Mumbai-based Lightbox Ventures, said.

“For Indian companies, if SoftBank does not write big checks and Chinese pools of capital slow down, it will further accelerate that thinking,” Talwar told Reuters.

'Big shock'
Start-up founders contacted by Reuters said they had enough cash for a couple of months at the most.

“We had big expansion plans just before this hit,” said Sujata Biswas, who co-founded Mumbai-based online clothing brand Suta with her sister Taniya.

“All of that has stopped [...] It was a big shock,” she added.

Suta, which saw sales triple for three years before India's lockdown stopped all business, would be unable to stay afloat beyond a month and a half without a cash infusion, Biswas said.

Cure.fit, a Bengaluru-based fitness firm which had to shut its gyms and health clinics around India, slashed salaries and laid off about 800 people in recent weeks.

It is now trying to get by by offering virtual yoga classes and home-delivering groceries as Indians stay indoors during the lockdown.

BookMyShow, an online ticket seller, is promoting free-to-watch Instagram Live performances in an effort to keep its users engaged, while restaurant aggregator and food delivery firm Zomato is targeting a push into alcohol delivery.

Others such as meal delivery firm Swiggy and hotel operators Oyo and Treebo have shed employees, cut salaries, and put workers on furlough, sources at the companies told Reuters.

Apparel retailer Sarkar said he expected his online store, Rustorange, to see a 50pc slump in demand from pre-virus levels even after the lockdown is lifted.

With 35-40 full-time staff and about 70 part-time workers, he only has enough cash for “a month or two”. To survive, Sarkar is drawing on his experience of a 2016 funding crunch, which brought down his previous firm.

“We are now trying to think of ways that can be appealing in the new normal,” Sarkar said. “We are thinking of developing masks as a fashion accessory.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/1556282/i...ve-as-coronavirus-crisis-fuels-funding-crunch

 

[MenInG]

A claim being widely shared on social media that the prolonged wearing of masks can be dangerous is "not true at all", the World Health Organization has said.

An article making the claim first appeared online in Spanish towards the end of April. It circulated widely in Spanish-speaking countries, before a translation appeared on English outlets and a Nigerian news site.

The report alleged that prolonged breathing while wearing masks leads to inhalation of carbon dioxide, which makes people dizzy and deprives the body of oxygen.

It also claimed people should lift masks “every 10 minutes to continue feeling healthy".

Dr Richard Mihigo from the WHO told the BBC the claims could actually pose a health risk.

He said people could be exposed to contamination if they keep lifting masks to inhale.

He added that masks made following WHO guidelines should have two or more cloth layers to be effective, and "should allow you to breathe normally and prevent particles from passing through".

The only risk is for children under two years old whose lungs have not fully developed. They are not advised to homemade masks.

 

[MenInG]

The European commission has suspended the delivery of 10 million face masks from China after two countries complained about the poor quality of the batches they received, the Associated Press reports.

As part of its efforts to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, this month the commission, the European Union’s executive arm, started dispatching the masks to health care workers in its 27 member states and the UK.

After a first batch of 1.5 million masks was shipped to 17 states, Poland’s health minister, Lukasz Szumowski, said the 600,000 items his country received did not have European certificates and failed to comply with the medical standards required for their distribution.

“We have decided to suspend future deliveries of these masks,” the commission’s health spokesman, Stefan De Keersmaecker, said. “We will then see what action needs to be taken if there is indeed a quality problem with these masks.”

According to De Keersmaecker, the Netherlands has identified similar problems.

The whole stock of masks was purchased from a Chinese provider via a EU fund.

“If necessary we will of course take any necessary legal action,” De Keersmaecker said.

 

[The Viper]

Qatar makes wearing masks outside mandatory with violators fined up to $50,000

Qatar’s interior ministry announced on Thursday that wearing masks will be mandatory to go outside starting Sunday, and those who do not comply will be fined up to 200,000 riyals ($53,000).

Violators could also be jailed up to three years, or either of those punishments, according to a statement on the ministry’s Twitter account.

The statement added that the only exception will be if the person is alone driving in a vehicle.

Qatar reported 1,733 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours for a total of 28,272 cases and a total of 14 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ith-violators-fined-up-to-50000-idUSKBN22Q3IS

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

No people should have the freedom of choice.

 

[Abdullah719]

Govt to make wearing face masks in public mandatory: Dr Zafar Mirza

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said on Friday that the government will make wearing face masks mandatory in public places, adding that a notification in this regard will be issued soon.

"So far, the government has been recommending that people wear masks when visiting public places. However, we have now decided to make it mandatory as lockdowns have been eased. We will issue a notification in this regard," he said in a televised press briefing alongside Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Mirza also commented on an agreement between a subsidiary of Ferozsons Laboratories and the United States-based Gilead Sciences for manufacturing and selling remdesivir — an experimental antiviral drug that is being used to treat coronavirus patients.

"The US company has signed agreements with six companies across the world, of which one of them is from Pakistan. Not only will we be manufacturing the drug for our use, we will also be exporting it to 127 countries," he said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1557327/govt-to-make-wearing-face-masks-in-public-mandatory-dr-zafar-mirza

 

[Kianig89]

A simple surgical mask now cost around 40-60 rs. on a locality store a labor deharidaar earns 300-400 daily and has to meet his daily expenses can he afford a mask for this amount.
Govt should distribute mask in public make use of that aid $$1.3 million from Japan around Rs. 2 billion from corona fund not to mention the stock came from PR China
#No strategy

 

[LongHorn]

I am ok with wearing masks in enclosed areas or places where there are people around; its a placebo but if people can be more relaxed, then its ok
What I am not ok with is

1) Having to wear mask at an office desk for 8 hours (done by some companies!)

2) Wearing mask in outdoors when no one is nearby, this is something done in UAE and Qatar already, as in you have to wear a mask even if no one is within 100 yards of you.....

 

[LongHorn]

A claim being widely shared on social media that the prolonged wearing of masks can be dangerous is "not true at all", the World Health Organization has said.

.

Yea sure, the same WHO which flip flops between issues

Ask anyone with asthma how they feel when wearing a mask for more than a few minutes

Masks definitely impair oxygen intake, and that is why it is not uncommon to feel bit dizzy if you are wearing it for a prolonged time

https://www.technocracy.news/blaylock-face-masks-pose-serious-risks-to-the-healthy/

1) A more recent study involving 159 healthcare workers aged 21 to 35 years of age found that 81% developed headaches from wearing a face mask.3 Some had pre-existing headaches that were precipitated by the masks. All felt like the headaches affected their work performance.

2) another study of surgical masks found significant reductions in blood oxygen as well. In this study, researchers examined the blood oxygen levels in 53 surgeons using an oximeter. They measured blood oxygenation before surgery as well as at the end of surgeries.4 The researchers found that the mask reduced the blood oxygen levels (pa02) significantly. The longer the duration of wearing the mask, the greater the fall in blood oxygen levels.

 

[Abdullah719]

Wear a mask or face jail in Kuwait and Qatar

DUBAI: Kuwait and Qatar both said on Sunday they would start jailing people or fining them thousands of dollars for failing to wear a facemask to combat the novel coronavirus.

Kuwait’s health ministry said anyone caught could face up to three months in prison, while Qatar state TV reported the maximum penalty there would be three years.

In Kuwait the maximum fine stood at 5,000 dinars ($16,200) and in Qatar 200,000 riyals ($55,000).

The six Gulf states have reported a total of more than 137,400 infections with 693 deaths from the virus.

Cases in the region were initially linked to travel but later saw a spread among low-income migrant workers in cramped quarters.

Saudi Arabia, with a population of around 30 million people, has the largest count at more than 54,700 cases with 312 deaths.

Qatar, a nation of some 2.8 million, has the second highest infection count at above 32,600, with 15 deaths.

The United Arab Emirates has the second highest number of Covid-19 deaths among the six states at 220. It has reported more than 23,350 cases.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1557920/wear-a-mask-or-face-jail-in-kuwait-and-qatar

 

[MenInG]

Homemade face masks can help limit the spread of coronavirus - but they do have downsides, according to a new study.

Seven types of face masks were put to the test by the University of Edinburgh, including surgical masks, respirators, lightweight and heavy-duty face shields, and handmade masks.

Aside from those with a valve, all of the face coverings were found to reduce the forward distance travelled by an exhaled breath by at least 90%.

Measurements were taken from people wearing different face coverings from people standing or lying down, as well as from a manikin connected to a cough-simulating machine.

A special type of imaging was used that enables scientists to detect the distance and direction travelled by the air that is expelled when someone coughs or breathes heavily.

Although the surgical and handmade masks did limit the forward flow of an outward breath, they also generated "far-reaching leakage jets to the side, behind and above and below" - with "intense backward jets" generated whenever someone was coughing or breathing heavily.

Full-face shields worn without a mask enabled "a strong downward jet" to be released.

Respirator masks, commonly used by workers exposed to fine dust, were also found to offer protection - but valves on these masks designed to make breathing easier "could potentially allow infectious air to spread considerable distances in front".

Only masks that form a tight seal with the face were found to prevent the escape of virus-laden fluid particles, the researchers said.

When it comes to making a mask by hand, Britons are being urged to "ensure it seals gaps around the face, but be careful because making something that obstructs the mouth and nose is always dangerous".

The University of Edinburgh says its findings could help steer official guidance on wearing masks to help tackle COVID-19, which can be spread in small droplets of moisture in people's breath.

Dr Ignazio Maria Viola, who co-ordinated the project, said he had "generally been impressed by the effectiveness of all the face coverings we tested".

He told Sky News that, in principle, scarves offer similar protection in limiting the spread of coronavirus - although they are not ideal and "might not be very popular in the summer".

A commuter wearing a face mask on the London Underground on Monday morning

"Firstly, you need to have multiple layers to make it effective, and second it is important to seal all gaps (hence it should be tightish) otherwise air will be projected at high speed in directions that we are not aware of and that we cannot control. I also guess that it should be washed after every use," he said.

Dr Viola warned any new decisions on policy should bear in mind that people could end up having a false sense of security when wearing face coverings, meaning they fail to observe social distancing.

Another risk lies in the "potential transmission route through touching a mask that has been infected and thus transferring the virus from the mask, to your hands, to other surfaces".

Dr Felicity Mehendale, a surgeon at the Centre for Global Health, added that it was "reassuring to see the handmade mask worked just as well as the surgical mask to stop the wearer's breath flowing directly forwards".

However, she added: "The strong backward jets mean you need to think twice before turning your head if you cough while wearing a mask, and be careful if you stand behind or beside someone wearing a mask."

On 28 April, the Scottish government advised people to wear face coverings while out of the home and in crowded places such as public transport or shops, with the UK government following suit on 11 May.

Unlike other countries, doing so is not mandatory.

The government has now offered step-by-step guides on how to make face coverings at home using old T-shirts.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...9-study-says-but-there-are-downsides-11991766

 

[MenInG]

Trump removes mask during factory visit

President Donald Trump says he wore a mask in a "back area" during a factory tour in Michigan, but removed it before facing the cameras.

He told reporters he took off the facial covering at the Ford car plant because he "didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it", and he was about to make a speech.

Despite Michigan's attorney general urging the president to comply with health guidelines, the president insisted it was unnecessary because he is regularly tested for coronavirus.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump wears a mask during his tour of the Ford Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where ventilators, masks and other medical supplies are being manufactured. <a href="https://t.co/UCqBVUEuBZ">https://t.co/UCqBVUEuBZ</a><br><br>&#55357;&#56567; Anonymous <a href="https://t.co/eiIFVNPVIh">pic.twitter.com/eiIFVNPVIh</a></p>— NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1263654664655994881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Masks 'protect others and ourselves'

Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society, tells the Marr Show that wearing face masks isn't just an act of altruism to protect others.

"If all of us wear masks we all protect each other and thereby protect ourselves," he said. "So you can think of it as a co-operation that makes us all that bit safer."

He says he doesn't think face masks will be a permanent feature in society but they will be a "useful tool" to tackle the pandemic.

 

[MenInG]

Japan's Paediatric Association has advised parents not to put masks on children under the age of two because they can make breathing difficult and increase the risk of choking.

In a notice on its website, the group also said because children had narrow air passages, their hearts would be put under additional strain by trying to breathe through a mask.

The US Centers for Disease Control also says children under the age of two should not wear cloth face coverings.

 

[MenInG]

Study shows masks, social distancing effective

Masks and social distancing can help control the coronavirus but hand washing and other measures are still needed, a new study has found.

Researchers concluded single-layer cloth masks are less effective than surgical masks, while tight-fitting N95 masks provide the best protection, according to the study published in the medical journal, The Lancet.

A distance of one metre (more than 3 feet) between people lowers the danger of catching the virus, while two metres (about 6 1/2 feet) is even better.

Eye protection such as eyeglasses or goggles can also help.

 

[MenInG]

Imran Khan not setting a great example here.

 

[MenInG]

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announces face coverings will be mandatory on public transport in England from 15 June
He says people who don't comply will be fined but young children will be exempt

 

[The Viper]

WHO now encourages fabric mask wearing in public

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is now “advising governments” to encourage its citizens to wear fabric face masks in public areas to help stop the spread of virus.

The WHO had previously said there was not enough evidence to support the use of masks by healthy people in public but that medical masks should be worn by those who were sick and those caring for them.

"We have evidence now that if this is done properly it can provide a barrier for potentially infectious droplets,” Dr Maria van Kerkhove told Reuters in an interview.

“And we specify a fabric mask - that is, a non-medical mask."

In its new guidance, which has been prompted by studies over recent weeks, the WHO stressed that face masks are just one of a range of tools that can be used to reduce the risk of transmission and that they should not give people a false sense of protection.

 

[MenInG]

The NHS Providers deputy chief executive, Saffron Cordery, has said NHS Trusts received “little or no consultation” ahead of the government’s announcement on imminent changes to face covering regulations.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said on Friday that all hospital visitors and outpatients will need to wear face coverings and hospital staff must use surgical masks as of 15 June, the Press Association reports.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman added that, while members of the public are “strongly urged” to attend hospital wearing a face covering, no one will be denied care and masks will be provided by the hospital if necessary.

But Cordery said in a statement that a lack of forewarning from the government has left NHS Trusts scrambling to find enough equipment to cater for hospital staff, patients and visitors.

“(The announcement) of compulsory mask wearing for all NHS staff working in any part of a hospital is clearly designed to help to ensure that both staff and patients are protected and feel safe,” she said.

“But, as is the case for a number of announcements throughout the pandemic, this has come with little or no consultation with the NHS frontline and without a plan in place to ensure that all trusts will have access to adequate supplies of type one and two masks.”

Cordery added that trusts were nervous about the imminent lifting of some patient visiting restrictions from 15 June.

“We know that trusts want to do all they can to ensure that patients can have contact with their loved ones while in hospital, but there is understandably nervousness and concern about opening up visiting too quickly,” she said.

“Trusts need time to put in place processes and guidance to ensure that patients can receive visitors safely and while adhering to social distancing and infection control measures.

“Important decisions like these should not come as a surprise to those expected to deliver them.”

 

[MenInG]

PM Imran urges public to wear face masks, follow SOPs

Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged citizens to wear face masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The premier said that majority of the people were flouting SOPs, thinking the virus was just a common flu. "If we continue to ignore SOPs, then we are putting the lives of the vulnerable in danger," he said.

"Please wear masks, this is very important. The world has realised that masks can prevent the spread by up to 50 per cent. Secondly, when you venture into public places, follow the guidelines that have been issued by the government."

He concluded his address by saying that only precautionary measures can help to defeat the coronavirus.

 

[Mamoon]

Imran Khan: please wear masks

Also Imran Khan:

 

[Syed1]

Imran Khan: please wear masks

Also Imran Khan:

View attachment 101428

Well if he gets corona then that'll be the happiest day of your life, so you should be hoping that he doesn't wear masks. Also funny you posted an image from last week when every single of his images from the past few days have been with him wearing masks.

 

[Bewal Express]

Yes

 

[Mamoon]

The amount of stupidity, ignorance and even arrogance (with respect to masks) around the world is staggering.

There is no doubt about the fact that even the lowest quality mask provides some degree of protection compared to not wearing any mask at all.

There is no shortage of simple medical masks in Pakistan and they cost Rs. 20/- only.

You can also buy the KN95 mask that costs Rs. 400 or 500/- and provides better protection.

If you are rich or poor, there is a mask for you and you have no excuse not to wear one.

 

[moghul]

It boils my blood when I see such stupidity and posts like this . After losing more than 400K lives in the world, all evidence show the only thing , short of vaccine , which works in preventing spread of this virus is a mask.

Pictures of American President , VP and Pakistan PM not wearing masks are simply disgusting.

Nothing is free but masks are the cheapest and the most practical way of preventing the disease from spreading.

Better quality masks are better, but masks of any quality, even covering your mouth and nose ( NOT CHIN for GOD sake ) with a cloth is better than not covering.

This is not a point of discussion, there should be no two opinion about it, its a matter of life and death.

 

[The Viper]

Widespread mask-wearing could prevent COVID-19 second waves - study

Population-wide facemask use could push COVID-19 transmission down to controllable levels for national epidemics and could prevent further waves of the pandemic disease when combined with lockdowns, according to a UK study published Wednesday.

The research, led by scientists at the Britain’s Cambridge and Greenwich Universities, suggests lockdowns alone will not stop the resurgence of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but that even homemade masks can dramatically reduce transmission rates if enough people wear them in public.

“Our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of facemasks by the public,” said Richard Stutt, who co-led the study at Cambridge.

He said the findings showed that if widespread mask use were combined with social distancing and some lockdown measures, this could be “an acceptable way of managing the pandemic and re-opening economic activity” long before the development and public availability of an effective vaccine against COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.

The study’s findings were published in the “Proceedings of the Royal Society A” scientific journal.

The World Health Organization updated its guidance on Friday to recommend that governments ask everyone to wear fabric face masks in public areas where there is a risk to reduce the spread of the disease.

In this study, researchers linked the dynamics of spread between people with population-level models to assess the effect on the disease’s reproduction rate, or R value, of different scenarios of mask adoption combined with periods of lockdown.

The R value measures the average number of people that one infected person will pass the disease on to. An R value above 1 can lead to exponential growth.

The study found that if people wear masks whenever they are in public it is twice as effective at reducing the R value than if masks are only worn after symptoms appear.

In all scenarios the study looked at, routine facemask use by 50% or more of the population reduced COVID-19 spread to an R of less than 1.0, flattening future disease waves and allowing for less stringent lockdowns.

“We have little to lose from the widespread adoption of facemasks, but the gains could be significant,” said Renata Retkute, who co-led the study.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...ovid-19-second-waves-study-idUKKBN23G38L?il=0

 

[Sirris]

PM must be reading our posts on PP and taking notes.

 

[The Viper]

Masks significantly reduce infection risk, likely preventing thousands of COVID-19 cases -study

Requiring the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in areas at the epicenter of the global pandemic may have prevented tens of thousands of infections, a new study suggests.

Mask-wearing is even more important for preventing the virus’ spread and the sometimes deadly COVID-19 illness it causes than social distancing and stay-at-home orders, researchers said, in the study published in PNAS: The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

Infection trends shifted dramatically when mask-wearing rules were implemented on April 6 in northern Italy and April 17 in New York City - at the time among the hardest hit areas of the world by the health crisis - the study found.

“This protective measure alone significantly reduced the number of infections, that is, by over 78,000 in Italy from April 6 to May 9 and over 66,000 in New York City from April 17 to May 9,” researchers calculated.

When mask-wearing went into effect in New York, the daily new infection rate fell by about 3% per day, researchers said. In the rest of the country, daily new infections continued to increase.

Direct contact precautions - social distancing, quarantine and isolation, and hand sanitizing - were all in place before mask-wearing rules went into effect in Italy and New York City. But they only help minimize virus transmission by direct contact, while face covering helps prevent airborne transmission, the researchers say.

“The unique function of face covering to block atomization and inhalation of virus-bearing aerosols accounts for the significantly reduced infections,” they said. That would indicate “that airborne transmission of COVID-19 represents the dominant route for infection.”

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday urged organizers of large gatherings that involve “shouting, chanting or singing to strongly encourage the use of cloth face coverings to lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-h...ousands-of-covid-19-cases-study-idUKKBN23J33V

 

[MenInG]

Masks significantly reduce infection risk, says new study

Requiring the wearing of masks in areas at the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic may have prevented tens of thousands of infections, a new study suggests.

Mask-wearing is even more important for preventing the virus's spread and the sometimes deadly COVID-19 illness it causes than social distancing and stay-at-home orders, researchers said, in the study published in PNAS: The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Infection trends shifted dramatically when mask-wearing rules were implemented on April 6 in northern Italy and April 17 in New York City - at the time among the hardest-hit areas of the world by the health crisis - the study found.

"This protective measure alone significantly reduced the number of infections, that is, by over 78,000 in Italy from April 6 to May 9 and over 66,000 in New York City from April 17 to May 9," researchers calculated.

 

[MenInG]

Masks become compulsory on English public transport

Anyone travelling on public transport in England must wear a face covering from Monday.

More than 3,000 extra staff including police officers are being deployed at stations to make sure people comply.

Passengers without a covering will be asked to wear one. If they refuse, they may not be allowed on board or they could be fined £100.

People with certain health conditions, disabled people and children under the age of 11 will be exempt from the rule.

In the coming days, hundreds of thousands of free coverings will be handed out at railway stations. The government says masks can be homemade, such as a scarf or bandana.

As well as on transport, all hospital visitors and outpatients also have to wear masks.

 

[MenInG]

President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced that wearing of face masks is now compulsory in Ghana.

The country’s coronavirus case count has risen to nearly 12,000, with 54 deaths and about 4,000 recoveries.

Restrictions on religious gatherings have been eased and schools will reopen for final year students on Monday. Border crossings still remain closed.

The country has so far conducted about 250,000 tests in its population of 30 million.

 

[MenInG]

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has announced that local governments in the US state will now have the ability to order people to wear masks. He had previously resisted loud calls from city mayors asking for such powers.

Ducey has come under mounting pressure to enact tougher restrictions in Arizona, following a rapid rise in cases.

But the move, which comes a week before President Donald Trump is due to hold a campaign rally in the state, still falls short of a statewide mandate by the Republican governor, which medical experts had called for.

Nearly 2,400 new virus cases were announced in Arizona on Tuesday and another 1,800 on Wednesday, bringing the state's tally to nearly 41,000. Intensive care units in hospitals across Arizona are also at 85% capacity.

 

[MenInG]

Bulgaria makes face masks compulsory again as virus cases rise

Bulgaria has ordered residents to wear protective face masks again at all indoor public places after the Balkan country recorded its highest weekly rise in novel coronavirus cases.

The order, issued by Health Minister Kiril Ananiev, came 10 days after his move to make the wearing of masks indoors "highly recommended" but not mandatory, apart from on public transport, in pharmacies and medical establishments.

"The only purpose for doing this is to preserve the health and life of Bulgarian citizens," Ananiev said, adding that people should wear masks at shops, sports events, cinemas and theatres. Staying 1.5 metres apart from other people is also compulsory.

Bulgaria, which has registered 3,905 cases and 199 deaths from the coronavirus, recorded 606 new COVID-19 cases last week, the country's highest weekly rise.

 

[MenInG]

Judge orders Brazil's Bolsonaro to keep mask on

Will playing pandemic politics help or hurt Bolsonaro? | The Stream
A Brazilian federal judge ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to comply with local rules to wear a face mask whenever he is outdoors in the capital, Brasilia.

Bolsonaro "has exposed other people to the contagion of a disease that has caused national commotion", said Judge Renato Coelho Borelli.

The ruling came after Bolsonaro was seen unmasked at various public gatherings in recent weekends, from joining people protesting against the country's Congress and Supreme Court to drawing crowds as he visited outdoor food stalls.

Brazil’s federal district requires people to wear face masks in public to help control the spread of the virus. Failure to comply carries a possible daily fine of $390.

 

[MenInG]

 

[The Viper]

As virus surges, Trump under pressure to adopt mask

US President Donald Trump faced mounting bipartisan pressure to set an example by wearing a face mask, as his health secretary warned the “window is closing” to gain control of an explosion of infections in conservative-led US states, AFP reported

“This is a very, very serious situation and the window is closing for us to take action and get this under control,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on CNN.

Azar was asked why Trump has refused to set an example by wearing a protective mask in public — even when standing next to mask wearing health advisors — and reiterated the White House explanation that the president is tested daily and is “in a unique position” as a world leader.

But many Republicans who are normally reluctant to criticise the president have been calling more insistently for mask use, with some urging a clearer example from the nation's leader.

 

[MenInG]

Top Republican pushes for face coverings

Top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy said every American has a responsibility to follow recommendations to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pushing for face coverings.

"They should wear a mask," McCarthy told CNBC after his home state of California began to roll back efforts to reopen the economy. "If you cannot social distance, you need to be wearing a mask and you need to be respectful to one another".

 

[The Viper]

Trump says he would wear a mask in close quarters - Fox Business

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has avoided being seen in public wearing a face covering, said on Wednesday he would wear a mask if he were in close quarters with other people in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“I’m all for masks,” Trump told Fox Business Network. “If I were in a tight situation with people I would absolutely” wear a mask, he added.

Trump said, however, he did not think mask-wearing needed to be made mandatory nationwide “because you have many places in the country where people stay very long distance.”

Trump has become increasingly isolated within the Republican Party for not promoting the use of a mask by Americans against the virus with the number of infections going up in a number of states.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said on Tuesday “we must have no stigma” about wearing masks, told Fox News Channel that Trump’s remarks were welcome.

“I think it’s helpful,” he said.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...lose-quarters-fox-business-idUKKBN24275Q?il=0

 

[The Viper]

Uber extends mask requirement for drivers, riders, launches new campaign

Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) on Wednesday extended indefinitely a requirement for drivers and riders on its platform to wear a face covering or mask and launched a new campaign video to educate users about the policy.

The company began requiring masks on May 18 and on Wednesday extended the policy, which was originally slated to run out at the end of June.

“Extending our ‘No Mask, No Ride’ policy is the right thing to do. We want to send a clear message to everyone using Uber that we all have a role to play to keep each other safe,” Uber said in a statement.

A spokesman said not setting an expiration date for the policy was intentional as the company continued to monitor the situation and the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Uber’s stance comes as U.S. infections surge and the debate over public health measures and wearing a mask has taken on a partisan tone in the United States.

The company in a new campaign video showing Uber drivers and food delivery workers said wearing a mask was a way to thank them for their essential services during weeks of lockdown.

Since the requirement took effect in May, Uber drivers have needed to take a selfie to verify they are wearing a mask before starting work. A company executive in May said Uber was looking into developing a similar feature to verify riders’ compliance with the policy.

An Uber spokesman on Wednesday said there were no updates on the rider feature, but that Uber continued to look into the option.

The company said it has completed some 50 million mask detections with drivers and delivery people and completed more than 100 million ride-hail trips since May 18.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-h...ders-launches-new-campaign-idUKKBN242719?il=0

 

[MenInG]

US President Donald Trump, long opposed to wearing a face covering in public, says he is "all for masks" and they make him look like the Lone Ranger.

Mr Trump also maintained that face coverings do not need to become mandatory to curb Covid-19's spread.

He again predicted the infection would "disappear," as the US hit a new record high of 52,000 virus cases in a day.

His remarks to Fox News come a day after a top Republican called on Mr Trump to wear a mask as an example.

The US now has nearly 2.7 million confirmed Covid-19 infections and more than 128,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic.

Speaking to Fox Business Network on Wednesday, Mr Trump said: "I'm all for masks."

When asked whether he would wear one, the president said: "If I were in a tight situation with people I would, absolutely." He added that people have seen him wearing one before.

Mr Trump said he would have "no problem" with wearing a mask publicly and that he "sort of liked" how he looked with one on, likening himself to the Lone Ranger, a fictional masked hero who with his Native American friend, Tonto, fought outlaws in the American Old West.

But the president reiterated that he did not think making face-coverings mandatory across the US was needed, because there are "many places in the country where people stay very long distance".

"If people feel good about it they should do it."

Mr Trump was also asked in his Fox Business interview on Wednesday if he still believes coronavirus will "disappear" someday.

"I do," he said. "I do. Yeah sure. At some point."

During Mr Trump's forthcoming Independence Day celebration on 3 July at Mount Rushmore, his supporters in attendance will not be forced to wear masks or socially distance.

When the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in April began recommending people wear masks or cloth coverings in public to help stop the spread of the virus, Mr Trump told reporters he would not follow the practice.

"I don't think I'm going to be doing it," he said back then. "Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens - I just don't see it."

But Mr Trump has repeatedly emphasised that choosing to follow the official health guidance around masks is a personal decision.

Last month, he told the Wall Street Journal that some people only wear masks as a political statement against him.

In May, during a visit to a factory in Michigan, he told reporters he took off a facial covering before facing the cameras because he "didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it".

The White House has defended the president's choice by saying everyone in contact with him is tested frequently for coronavirus, and so is Mr Trump himself.

The president's daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, has also been spotted wearing a mask in public.

An ABC News/Ipsos poll found that in the last week, 89% of Americans said they wore a mask or face covering outside their home in the last week - a 20-point jump from mid-April.

Mr Trump has often been criticised by Democrats for downplaying the need to wear masks and politicising the idea.

But more recently, the president's fellow Republicans and conservative media have joined the calls in favour of mask wearing.

They include Vice-President Mike Pence, who heads the US Covid-19 task force, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Mitt Romney and congresswoman Liz Cheney.

On Tuesday, Tennessee Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said it was unfortunate that "this simple, lifesaving practice has become part of a political debate that says 'if you're for Trump, you don't wear a mask, if you're against Trump, you do".

The same day, US infectious disease chief Dr Anthony Fauci told lawmakers new American cases could reach 100,000 per day, and not enough Americans were wearing masks or social distancing.

The recent surges have led to a number of states reversing or pausing reopening plans. About 20 states have mandated mask wearing in public.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53258792

 

[MenInG]

US: Outrage over cartoon equating mask requirement to Holocaust

A cartoon posted on the social media account of a weekly Kansas newspaper owned by a county Republican Party chairman has been condemned for comparing a state mandate requiring all residents to wear masks in public in light of the coronavirus pandemic with the roundup of Jews during the holocaust.

The cartoon posted on the Anderson County Review's Facebook page depicts Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, wearing a mask with a Jewish Star of David on it, next to a drawing of people being loaded onto train cars.

Its caption reads: "Lockdown Laura says: Put on your mask ... and step onto the cattle car."

About six million Jews were systematically executed by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945, with many rounded up and transported to concentration camps via trains.

The cartoon was posted on Facebook on Friday, the same day Kelly's mandatory mask order went into effect, as Kansas experienced its worst two-week spike in infections since the outbreak began in the United States. To date, more than 2.83 million infections have been recorded in the country and nearly 130,000 people have died from COVID-19. Recent weeks have seen an uptick in cases particularly in western and southern states.

The Anderson County Review is owned and published by county Republican Party chairman Dane Hicks. In an email provided to the New York Times and The Associated Press news agency which was later posted on the newspaper's blog, Hicks said he designed the image himself and plans to publish it in Tuesday's edition of the paper. It remained on the paper's Facebook page as of Sunday.

"The most telling example of authoritarian government I can think of is Nazi Germany - you'll recall
various media personalities and Trump Haters constantly making the analogy between the president and Adolf Hitler," Hicks said. "I certainly have more evidence of that kind of totalitarianism in Kelly's actions, in an editorial cartoon sort of way, than Trump's critics do, yet they persist in it daily."

'Deeply offensive'

The cartoon prompted swift rebuke from Kelly, who issued a statement calling it "anti-Semitic" and "deeply offensive" and calling on Hicks to "remove it immediately".

Meanwhile, the state's Republican Party Chairman Michael Kuckelman told the AP news agency posting the cartoon was "inappropriate", while noting that the newspaper's Facebook page "has wide berth" under constitutional freedom of speech and freedom of press.

In his statement, Hicks defended the message, saying political cartoons are "gross over-caricatures designed to provoke debate" and "fodder for the marketplace of ideas".

"The topic here is the governmental overreach which has been the hallmark of Governor Kelly's administration," he said.

Hicks's characterisation is in line with some Republicans in the state who have criticised Kelly's order as infringing on personal liberties, although Kansas law allows counties to opt out of the mandate. Anderson County, with a population of about 7,900, has done so.

Under pressure from the state's Republican-controlled legislature, Kelly had previously lifted statewide restrictions on businesses and public gatherings on May 26, making Kansas one of several states across the US that health officials have criticised for reopening too early.

'Trifecta of garbage'
Rabbi Moti Rieber, the executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action, in an interview with the AP news agency said it was "incoherent" to equate an action designed to save lives with mass murder.

He added that putting the Star of David on Kelly's mask is anti-Semitic because it implies "nefarious Jews" are behind her actions.

"This thing is like the trifecta of garbage," Rieber said.

Hicks, in his statement, also shrugged off suggestions he should apologise.

"Apologies: To whom exactly?" he said. "The critics on the Facebook page? Facebook is a cesspool and I only participate to develop readership."

He added he "intended no slight" to Jews or Holocaust survivors.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...sk-requirement-holocaust-200705140521464.html

 

[MenInG]

A French bus driver has been left brain dead after he was attacked for refusing to let people on board who were not wearing face masks.

Four people, none of whom had a ticket or a mask, repeatedly punched the 59-year-old driver in Bayonne on Sunday, local media report.

Masks are mandatory on public transport across France.

One of the attackers is now in custody, a police officer told the AFP news agency.

Regional bus services have been severely disrupted after many of the driver's colleagues refused to work in protest.

 

[MenInG]

Tom Hanks, who recovered from Covid-19 earlier this year, has said he "has no respect" for people who decline to wear a mask in public during the pandemic.

The actor and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for coronavirus while filming in Australia in March.

Many governments now recommend face coverings, but they are not mandatory in most places.

Hanks said: "I don't get it, I simply do not get it, it is literally the least you can do."

The actor was speaking to the Associated Press about face coverings while promoting his latest film.

"If anybody wants to build up an argument about doing the least they can do, I wouldn't trust them with a driver's licence," he said.

"I mean, when you drive a car, you've got to obey speed limits, you've got to use your turn signals [indicators], you've got to avoid hitting pedestrians. If you can't do those three things, you shouldn't be driving a car.

"If you can't wear a mask and wash your hands and social distance, I've got no respect for you, man. I don't buy your argument."

The refusal of some members of the public to wear masks is a particular issue in the US, which leads the world in coronavirus deaths and infections.

US President Donald Trump had previously voiced his opposition to them, but he changed his tone last week, telling Fox News he is "all for masks".

'Heartbroken'
Hanks is a two-time Oscar winner, taking home the best actor prize for both Philadelphia and Forrest Gump in the 1990s.

His new film, Greyhound, was originally due to be released in cinemas but will now be screened on Apple TV instead.

Many cinemas around the world remain closed to slow the spread of infections amid the pandemic, but they are now allowed to open in the UK.

"We are all heartbroken that this movie is not playing in cinemas," Hanks told AFP. "But with that removed as a possibility, we were left with this as a reality."

In another interview with Reuters, Hanks said Greyhound was made for "a big, massive, immersive experience that can really only come out when you're in a movie theatre with at least 100 other people".

But with the coronavirus pandemic, "we've got to roll with these punches" and put it online for home viewing, he said.

In the movie, Hanks plays Commander Ernest Krause, a naval officer embarking on his first mission of World War Two.

Hanks also wrote the screenplay, adapting it from the 1955 CS Forester novel The Good Shepherd.

In his three-star review of the film, Empire's Ian Freer said the film was "a serious, well-intentioned slice of WWII naval history full of compelling detail and good action but lacking the dimensions and dynamics to make you truly feel it".

Digital Spy's Gabriella Geisinger noted: "Greyhound really suffers from the small screen. It is meant to be a naval epic, whose high-seas stakes and battles, with gunfire through the dark as sea-spray washes aboard, is made less visceral on a small screen in your relatively-well-lit living room."

"Greyhound is an efficient, satisfying war film," wrote Kevin Crust in the Los Angeles Times. "In that regard, it's a fresh telling of familiar elements, buoyed by the powerfully understated performances."

He added: "It's understandable that Sony opted to go the digital route in selling Greyhound "to Apple TV+, but it would have been an especially good film to experience on the big screen in an auditorium."

 

[MenInG]

Face coverings are making headlines in the UK after senior sources said the government is considering making them compulsory in shops in England. Currently, they're mandatory on public transport in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and advised in Wales - but in Scotland they're compulsory in shops as well.

So how do the UK's rules compare to elsewhere?

Spain: Face masks are compulsory in public for anyone aged six and over, both inside and outside, if it's not possible to stay 1.5m apart
France: Masks are recommended in certain situations and mandatory in others. They're compulsory on public transport, in some shops, taxis, cafes and bars, casinos and schools (although measures can be changed at a local level)

Germany: Since late April, all states have required everyone to cover their nose and mouth when using public transport and in shops.

Italy: Mandatory to wear masks in closed spaces, including transport, and in any situation where it's not possible to social distance.

Belgium: Compulsory on public transport and, from today, also in shops, cinemas and other indoor settings

Portugal: The use of face masks is mandatory in public transport and services, shops and supermarkets, in enclosed spaces or outdoor gatherings

Poland: Face coverings compulsory where it is impossible to keep 2m distance

USA: About 20 states have mandated mask wearing in public spaces.

 

[Buffet]

Tragic part is that debate is going on in US about mask. Some people don't want to wear if it doesn't work always. Basic math education is lacking and thinking in terms of probability is absent. If it works even 50% of times, wear it.

 

[Buffet]

It boils my blood when I see such stupidity and posts like this . After losing more than 400K lives in the world, all evidence show the only thing , short of vaccine , which works in preventing spread of this virus is a mask.

Pictures of American President , VP and Pakistan PM not wearing masks are simply disgusting.

Nothing is free but masks are the cheapest and the most practical way of preventing the disease from spreading.

Better quality masks are better, but masks of any quality, even covering your mouth and nose ( NOT CHIN for GOD sake ) with a cloth is better than not covering.

This is not a point of discussion, there should be no two opinion about it, its a matter of life and death.

Problem is that their stupidity makes the situation worse. Tons of poeple get inspired and don't want to wear mask. Pence went to some mask factory without wearing mask. Stupidity has no limit and cheerlearders starts defending studity instead of simply seeing how a simple mask can save life. Mask has become a political issue.