They're also a visual reminder that there's a pandemic on. If you're wanting to wish it all away and get back to normal then you can do without them. They've never taken the human impact of the disease seriously and only done lockdowns when health infrastructure was on the verge of collapse.
Might intreset you.
As always it's the interaction of the pandemic policy with neoliberalism and power relations in the workplace. As mentioned above, it's not just about mask when it comes to having a 'Covid secure' workplace, but social distancing and masks were key defences for shop workers and others. Masks of course are as much about defence of others than the wearer. For most businesses there would have been little problem maintaining social distancing in areas where workers meet the public (or each other) and there could have been state aid for those who would have seen significant impact. Infecting and hospitalising people in the name of 'normality'.
Yes, I have been rolling my eyes continually at "hygiene theatre" since this thing began.Might intreset you.
Hygiene theatre: how excessive cleaning gives us a false sense of security
Covid-19 is a mainly airborne disease. So does our endless disinfecting and hand sanitising serve any purpose – or could it be worse than useless?www.theguardian.com
Same here.
I think a lot of British exceptionalism - we are stronger than the hypochondriac weaklings in those countries etc - informed decision making by our illustrious leaders
following Ingerlund not winning it must be a tricky calculation ...
' like I've said all along I hope it's irreversible'
Never had any faith in him. Looks like a rabbit in the headlights today.
I liked when asked the initial question he paused and then said 'err I'll have a go at that' . Have a fucking go, no, just know the fucking answer you arse wipe. I'm fuming.
Am I the only person who has never heard that expression before ?
some stupid americanism i imagine.
I'm familiar with 'don't rip the arse out of it' which I suspect is the more real world version of that ^ expression.
when I googled it, it seems he used it before ...
distraction from the real shitty issues
Suppose we are about to see a mass experiment on the extent to which the vaccine has weakened the link with hospitalisation. I say weakened, because we need to get away with the clearly dishonest claim that it has broken the link. Those who do the science and stats will know this better but it seems to me that it will probably ramp up over the Summer in a series of messy stages. Been a plateau in cases the last few days, though there might be a measurable 'Euro blip' next. Then it's the battle between kids being off school and the bonfire of regulations next week. Then, we get to schools and colleges going back + universities. Anyway, nothing good in all of that and, as has been mentioned on this thread, the whole strategy is one borne out previous failures.
