Muddled masks messaging irks Britons

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday that the last part of lifting lockdown restrictions in England would go ahead as planned on July 19, which means an end to social distancing and the compulsory wearing of masks. However, despite the end of the legal requirement to wear masks, government guidance remains that people should still wear them.

When asked by a BBC reporter if he would wear one himself, Johnson replied that it will depend on the circumstances. In an interview with Sky News, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said people would still be expected to wear masks indoors and in enclosed places after the legal requirement to do so ends.

Before the official announcement, Johnson said the country was "tantalizingly close to the final milestone in our road map out of lockdown, but the plan to restore our freedoms must come with a warning". He acknowledged that COVID-19 cases would increase as the lifting of restrictions happen, with caution being "absolutely vital".

Health minister Edward Argar backed Johnson's approach, saying that now was as good a time as any to make changes. "If not now, when?" he said. "We're in a position now where the vaccination program－our defensive wall against this virus－is proving hugely effective." He was also quoted by ITV News as saying that he would keep a mask in his pocket "in future days and in future weeks".

The restrictions were supposed to have been lifted on June 21, but were put back on because of the virulence of the Delta variant.

This delay has allowed for many more people to be vaccinated, and figures released on Friday revealed that 45.7 million adults, or 86.9 percent of the population, across the United Kingdom have had their first jab, and 34.5 million adults, or 65.6 percent, had both shots.

However, the seemingly contradictory tone of the language used in the messages has drawn criticism from figures in the medical establishment and other politicians.

No sound judgment

"Wearing a mask isn't a political choice: it's just a kind, decent, fairly easy thing to do," tweeted high-profile medical broadcaster and doctor Alexander van Tulleken, who is also a lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has suffered heart-related health issues since catching COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic.

Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association, told the BBC Radio 4 Today program that leaving mask wearing to the judgment of the public "makes no sense".

The reopening date only applies to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are subjected to their own rules.