Press & Journal and Evening Express readers have backed Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to delay the drop of face mask rules.
The first minister confirmed on Tuesday the legal requirement to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, such as on trains and in restaurants, will not end on March 21 as was initially planned.
This is due to the number of Covid cases rising daily and the fact that there are nearly 2,000 people in hospital with the virus.
The announcement has divided opinion, with some believing face masks are vital in protecting the more vulnerable members of society and others fed up of them and ready for life to return completely to normal.
Our poll results
Hundreds of you left Facebook comments, and more than 2,500 of you had your say in our dedicated poll.
The results are in and it shows that most of you agree with the decision to keep face mask rules for another two weeks.
We had a phenomenal 2,545 votes in our poll, with 53.3% of you backing Nicola Sturgeon’s decision and 46.7% of you disagreeing.
‘We need to learn to live with it’
Hundreds of you also took to our Facebook page with comments to share your views on the face mask announcement from Nicola Sturgeon soon after hearing the rules would not be changing on Monday.
Many felt that face coverings had been enforced for too long already and that people wearing them doesn’t seem to correlate with cases rising and falling.
Val Rodgers said: “I’ve had all my jabs, only out once or twice a week, wore a mask every time and now I have Covid, we need to learn to live with it.”
Gordon Wells agreed: “No matter how we deal with this virus it will be here for a long time so let us get back to normal and bin these masks once and for all.”
Pointing out the flaws of masks, Dawn Hawkins said: “Masks have made no difference because no one wears the correct type or wears the ones they have properly (under nose, put in pocket and bag etc)…
“I chose to take my chances without masks and am one of the few people who hasn’t had Covid.”
‘We should be helping each other stay safe’
There were a lot of people who felt that those eager to get rid of masks were leaving more vulnerable, high risk individuals behind.
Karen Robertson said: “What’s the big deal wearing a mask to protect others??
“You don’t know if person next to you has other health conditions that could cause harm or delay treatment. We should be helping each other stay safe and well.”
Thinking about the impact the virus is having on the healthcare sector, Kevin Hume said: “The practical reality is hospitals are getting pounded, and this has an impact on all healthcare across the board, GP, surgeries and life saving care is being interrupted because of this.
“Yes, we have to learn to live with it. That might just mean mild inconveniences for the rest of time to allow the machinations of society to keep working.”
Many said they would continue wearing masks even if they were scrapped as a legal requirement.
Jo Todd said: “With cases on the rise, masks should remain mandatory. Even if scrapped, I would continue to wear mine in shops etc. as a precaution.”
Karen Adams said her current situation has meant she wants to continue wearing a mask: “Being pregnant and working in retail I’m happy people have to keep wearing masks.
“Is it that big a hardship to wear one a bit longer to try keep vulnerable people safer?”
‘Nobody should be judging anyone else’
There were people who sat between fighting for or against face coverings, who felt that individuals should be trusted to decide themselves whether they want to wear them.
Heather Ellington said, moving forward, she feels no one should be judged for their opinions regarding mask wearing.
“Before Covid I used to suffer painful sinusitis at least twice a year, since mask wearing was introduced I haven’t had a single attack so I’m not bothered about Covid but if I can avoid catching a cold from public transport or crowds in shops that leads to sinusitis I’m happy to go on wearing masks,” she said.
“I think it should be down to personal responsibility, if you don’t want to wear a mask don’t but if you do just carry on and nobody should be judging anyone else for their preference.”
