To Mask or not to two - Mask Megathread cont.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118800194#Comment_118800194

There’s already a recommendation

Seanergy

One of the larger universities has just emailed all staff informing of the extension of the on-campus mask mandate for all until the end of semester.

All = staff and students.

corcaigh07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118805582#Comment_118805582

Which university?

John.Icy

DCU. Not a secret.

EDIT: Going to be a good boy, promised myself no more rants over COVID.

Seanergy

Seanergy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118806535#Comment_118806535

Your now deleted rant seemed to imply that DCU's on-campus mask mandate was just virtue signalling and that all the student's disobey the university rules when not in class.

More and proper enforcement is needed so.

Amadan Dubh

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118809292#Comment_118809292

No one has a problem with any of that Sean, but the key words there are "should", "consider", "advised", "wishes to".

Not "mandatory", "required" or "must"

In other words, make up your own mind and do what's right for you - exactly as it is and should be!

They are missing a fourth point though...

"Anyone who does not wish to continue wearing masks as is their choice shouldn't be coerced into doing so"

corcaigh07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118809321#Comment_118809321

More and proper enforcement of a recommendation? How do you go about that now?

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118809292#Comment_118809292

If it's advised to wear masks in crowded indoor settings, what does this mean for a large workplace that made masks optional?

This is surely a health and safety issue in the workplace? Especially when distancing is still in place and people spaced out in the canteen. But people are crammed and face to face in crowded changing areas and hallways without masks. Would the HSA deal with this?

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118809929#Comment_118809929

It's advised/recommended/suggested, not a requirement.

So it's up to individuals and in the case of your example, individual companies letting staff decide for themselves.

Someone not happy with that would probably be better taking it up with HR and the Facilities team rather than the HSA but I suspect they would be reminded that while they themselves are free to mask up, there is no requirement to ask anyone else to do likewise. The company is following the national position.

Cork2021

Right! I try and avoid getting pissed off at articles like this these days but bullshit articles from that absolute bellend Staines are fûcking painful! And the echo putting **** all context to the hospital numbers as well! The headline, says in for the foreseeable in public transport! The echo are brutal!

MSM want and really do want this to continue they really do and if anyone denies it then they want it all to continue as well! Masks, social distancing etc are all virtue signalling now! RTE and the rest can go fûck themselves!

https://www.echolive.ie/nationalnews/arid-40832747.html?fbclid=IwAR25bg8-zFO0wp6X6LH3AErZEHEfAH0fBp7CDfD3hHRdfAcnhuPcDmItvt0

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118810206#Comment_118810206

Ah I'd pay Staines no mind. The guy is desperately clinging onto his 15 minutes and interview paydays, and sure the Irish do love a bit of misery so of course the papers/websites will still print his rhetoric.

Meanwhile in the real world, mask wearing seems to be dropping everywhere week on week.

Ficheall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118810206#Comment_118810206

Your "not getting pissed off" efforts do not seem to going very well..

Cork2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118810556#Comment_118810556

Era Ficheall, you’d wear a mask on your arse to stop the smell of fart coming out if you could!

John.Icy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118809321#Comment_118809321

It is virtue signaling and clearly lobbying by certain individuals are driving decisions. The email made several assumptions that are weak at best. Par for course for DCU during COVID - if you've seen the email and agree with it, fair enough.

I'm not fully versed on the legality of it all but I really don't think there's much enforcement DCU can do re: your second point. Don't think they can expel a student from the campus grounds over a face mask. Also - next to no staff are currently enforcing it in indoor communal areas or the campus shop, and many staff are not even wearing them themselves in indoor settings once they are finished at the lecterns. So yeah, virtue signaling and theatre by selected members of staff and you won't have to go far to see who was tweeted about it instantly. Staff are being handed a poison chalice to go around and police masks when it is no longer a requirement virtually anywhere else in society for the students.

Leaving aside hospital cases and all that, I can see that there will be increasing absenteeism as a result of so very few still choosing to wear a mask. It means business and services will be further disrupted. If a substantial number would choose to reduce risk/viral load by mask wearing, affording a bit of social distance (eg not butting into you at the supermarket) and bothering you keep sanitiser filled, I imagine we’d enjoy more time free from wearisome sickness, more time to partake in life pending a means of gaining better immunity.

DLink

I'm happy to say that I'm seeing very few people wearing masks these days, and I've yet to come across any premises insisting on masks being worn before services are rendered, even pharmacies.

I have to admit, I really, really expected to see people clinging to the masks for dear life, and I really expected to see shops trying to enforce wearing, but that never happened, which surprised me, but it proves that businesses only enforced mask wearing because they were made to, not because they wanted to.

Yes, some shops & restaurants are making their staff wear masks, but once they're not pushing that on me, I'm easy (never thought I'd say that, yet here we are!).

I still have to "wear" a mask at work, but apart from one or two twitchers who would twitch no matter what, no one else complains about a badly worn mask, especially the people who count, i.e. management. Once the mask is somewhere near your face, it's tolerated, and I'm as OK as I can be with that.

Ficheall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118810845#Comment_118810845

Is that the sequel to the number from this merry band of fuckw*ts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9_1cdFhPUU

dalyboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118812048#Comment_118812048

It’s actually a genuinely catchy song. Could be a future number 1 hit.

fun loving criminal

What I don't get is alot of places have kept screens in place. Like they think a screen gives protection with an airborne virus. I'm sure we'll eventually get around to the ffp2 masks. Maybe after the next wave or two.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118814237#Comment_118814237

Ours is stuck on the counter and it would be to much hassle to take it down!

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118814237#Comment_118814237

Screens I have no issue with myself though at this point they're useful more from a security perspective (like they've had for years in banks or on buses to prevent robbery) than protecting from Covid.

Gael23

I got omnicron on a train journey last week not wearing a mask. Does make you think

Cork2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118819818#Comment_118819818

Ah stop!

DLink

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118819818#Comment_118819818

Are you at death's door? Is the Grim Reaper hanging around outside your house perhaps?

How do you know you got omicron... did they analyse your sample and tell you?

Masks are suppose to protect others from you BTW, they are not designed to protect you from others 🙄

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118819818#Comment_118819818

They don't share variant information so I'm not sure how you know this.

crossman47

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821284#Comment_118821284

Your last point is valid and is the reason I still wear a mask in indoor settings (apart from my own house). I consider it good manners and its no hassle anyway. People are still getting quite sick from Covid and anything reasonable we do to avoid it can only be useful. On the one hand we have the twitchers but on the other hand we have the "its only a cold brigade and any restrictions are offensive" crowd. Both need a bit of common sense.

Gael23

Based on the overwhelming majority of cases being omnicron I think it’s a reasonable assessment

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118821372#Comment_118821372

In fairness, your "it's good manners and no hassle/common sense " attitude is part of the same problem you're complaining about - "look at me, aren't I good/responsible?"

I'll keep saying it. Wear your mask if you feel better doing so (either for yourself, or because you like the feeling of "doing the right thing"), but others have the same right not to.