Mask rules will be strengthened in the UK and Paris with the surge of Covid-19 cases

Following the recent surge in coronaviruses, the areas where masks are needed are expanding in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Paris.

Visitors waiting for entry to the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Photo: AFP

Places where you need to wear face coverings in the UK include museums, churches, cinemas and funeral homes. In Scotland, it must now be worn in museums, churches, banks and hairdressers.

Masks are mandatory from Monday to all public closed spaces in Northern Ireland.

The new rules will come after the new quarantine rules for travelers to the UK come into force on Saturday. People currently arriving in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from Belgium, Andorra and Bahamas need to be quarantined for two weeks.

The same rules have already been enforced in Wales, and passengers from Spain and Luxembourg are already quarantined.

Strict blockades have also been implemented in parts of East Lancashire, Preston, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. The number of Preston cases has skyrocketed over the past week, with nearly half occurring among people under the age of 30.

Residents face more stringent restrictions, such as prohibiting another household from meeting at home.

Infection increases in Paris

Faced with the increasing coronavirus infections in and around the French capital, face masks are compulsory to be worn in busy areas of Paris from Monday.

Police said the order would apply to people over the age of 11 in “specific, very crowded zones” that had not yet been announced.

The virus has been more widespread in the region since mid-July, they said. Face masks are mandatory in already closed public spaces.

Experts warned that France could lose control of Covid-19 “at any time”.

Some cities, such as Nice and Lille, have introduced their own reorders that mandate wearing masks in certain outdoor areas.

Officials said Saturday that the positive coronavirus test rate was 2.4% in the wider Paris area, compared to the national average of 1.6%.

They added that every day 400 people in the area were positive for coronavirus, with people aged 20 to 30 being particularly affected.

France reported 2,288 new coronavirus infections daily on Friday, marking a new post-lockdown. Data from Johns Hopkins University records more than 235,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 30,000 deaths in the country.

The large electronic signs will prompt you to wear a mask to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Photo: AFP

British “New Normal”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week announced a new masking rule for England, delaying lockdown mitigation due to a surge in virus cases.

Those who violate the English mask law face fines of up to £100 (nearly NZ$200) and the prime minister says there is a “greater police presence” to make sure the rules are followed. Stated.

Scotland’s first prime minister, Nikola Sturgeon, announced new face mask rules and other measures on Friday, explaining that “risks increase” as the country relaxes lockdown restrictions.

Wales and Northern Ireland are now required to wear a face over public transportation.

Who is where

Toby Bradon, general manager of Vue cinemas in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, said wearing face covers has become a “new common sense,” but customers can remove their masks to eat and drink in the cinema. ..

“Some people are aware that they are exempt, so it’s appropriate to encourage people to wear them, but it doesn’t regulate it.”

London’s Science Museum will need to wear face masks in line with government guidance when reopening on August 19, while paying “respect” to those exempted from doing so by visitors. Said he wants.

Children under the age of 11 do not need to wear face covers in the UK. The same applies to children with physical or mental illnesses or disabilities or disabilities, as well as employees indoors.

People can take off their masks if asked at the bank for identification or if they receive treatments or services such as a haircut, they do not have to wear them at restaurants, bars and pubs with table service ..

Hairdresser wearing a mask at the Peckham Beauty Salon in London.
Photo: AFP

British School Minister Nick Gibb BBC Students over the age of 11 must wear a mask. But “it’s not necessary in the classroom because there are many other measures that schools have put in place to minimize the risk of infection,” he repeated.

“The advice we have about wearing masks at school is that they can actually increase the risk of spreading the virus if they are not treated properly,” he said.

In Scotland, hospitality rules are tightening. From Friday 14th August, pubs and venues will need to record customer contact details, tables should be pre-booked and there should be no queues.

Latest british measurements

On Saturday, the UK reported that another 55 people had died from the virus, bringing the total to 46,566. In addition, another 758 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

On Friday, the latest UK replication numbers (R numbers) were estimated to be between 0.8 and 1. However, the government’s Emergency Science Advisory Group said it was “confident” that England’s R number was less than one.

The R number is the average number of people infected by one infected person. A value above 1 means that the case is growing exponentially. On the other hand, if the number is less than 1, the disease will eventually progress.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the latest data suggest that the number of people positive for coronaviruses may level off in the UK.

-BBC