I’m visiting the UK for the first time in three years and just wanted some advice about some things related to health and travel compared to here in Japan. People here are still wearing masks and I heard that it is extremely uncommon to be wearing one in public in the UK. Is this true? I’m more inclined to be wearing one in busy areas largely due to Japan not letting me back in if the test comes back +ve, and I want to avoid that as much as possible. Secondly, do people who wear masks frequently experience people going out of their way to judge or criticise them? I’ve heard and read differing things online. Just wanted to ask this question in preparation for when I come back. Is there any other things you could advise me on since I’ve been gone since before this all started? Thanks in advance.
17 comments
Very few people wear masks in any setting, but I’ve not seen people go out of their way to criticise anyone for doing so.
(Non london)
People generally don’t anymore, but no one will say anything to you for wearing one in a busy area. The vast majority of people won’t even notice
Most people don’t wear in public now but those who do don’t receive any animosity
It’s uncommon but feel free to wear one. I still wear a mask because of the nature of my work, no-one ever says anything.
I believe I am right in saying that a mask won’t stop you from getting covid but will stop you from spreading it to others (or reduce the spread)
The only place you might be asked to wear one is in doctors, hospitals or pharmacies.
Nobody cares either way anymore.
Very very few people still wear them but no one cares if people do.
I still wear my mask – I do get a few stares, but people tend to keep their opinions to themselves.
You’ve forgotten what it’s like here. You can go around wearing whatever you want and only on very seldom occasions will anyone comment.
I wear a mask everywhere, most people don’t.
Everyone around me going about their business not caring what everyone else is or isn’t wearing.
Having tested positive an hour ago probably not in the best position to give advice.. but here goes.
Mask wearing has definitely dropped off, I’ve been travelling into London for a new job for the last 2 months. It’s been noticeable the change even in that period.
I tend to still wear a mask on the tube, and I certainly wouldn’t be the only one, but definitely in the minority. I’ve never had any comments or even odd looks in central london wearing a mask. (Though that might say more about tube dwellers making eye contact than my mask).
The underlying covid rate has historically been far higher in the uk than Japan, though they seem to be comparable now according by to ourworlddata.com. The Zoe covid study recons the infection rate is picking up again here due to the latest omicron strains with something like 150k infections a day and 1.7M active infections, that’s about the level at it’s peak when it was _really_ bad pre vaccination rollout.
Your best bet is to avoid indoor crowded places like public transport, you’ll be better off with an N95 type mask, that protects you, surgical masks which are more commonly used are more about protecting others. Your biggest risk, as I just found out, is likely to be air travel and being locked in a metal tube with a couple of hundred germ carriers for several hours.
Some people still wear masks in shops and public transport. I have not heard of anyone being judged for wearing one.
Most people aren’t wearing them but in the majority of indoor places that I have been recently some people are; so I don’t think you will look out of place if you choose to.
This is the UK… you can wear your underpants on your head if you like. Nobody gives a damn.
Masks aren’t super common but no one will give a shit if you wear one, most people won’t bat an eyelid
I had some young women yell at me “don’t wear a mask, you don’t have to any more!” to which I yelled back “yeah? maybe I’m hiding being ugly” and they didn’t have a response to that.
This was at Dunkin in Bradford, nobody else has commented in Norfolk, London, Yorkshire or Aberdeenshire.
I still wear a mask on public transport, in shops and in busy areas. I’ve never had anyone say anything about it. I have noticed that most people aren’t wearing them anymore though. I also still use hand sanitizer going into shops and when I come out.
Parking your mask question which has been answered by others and addressing “other things you could advise me on”.
We’re very much feeling the financial impacts of COVID and lockdowns with price rises across the board, but pretty much all other aspects of life in the UK are back to how they were pre-COVID. Someone who has hibernated for the last three years and just woke up would take a while to realise anything unusual had happened.
Possibly the only thing that impacts on day to day life that I can think of is that the switch from cash to electronic payments, which was happening anyway, has been sped up. It’s not unusual to find business now that do not accept cash, especially in cities, so make sure you have a card working for UK payments.
Also try not to have a seizure when you see the petrol prices.
I’m in the SE. I did my shopping in Morissons today wearing a mask inside the shop and was the only person doing so and nobody that I noticed batted an eyelid. On other occasions I’ve seen two or three other people and one of the checkout staff doing so. If you feel safer doing so, go for it and don’t worry about it.
No-one has questioned me, and if anyone was rude enough to do so, I’m happy to explain that I take immune suppressant drugs, so like to be extra careful. This being the UK, most people wouldn’t dream of asking anyhow.