Lockdown facemasks should be be THE LAW even outside says reader – is he right?

If you can smell something, you have inhaled its particles. Most of us will have smelt a farm from several hundred yards while walking or driving in the countryside and therefore would have inhaled various gases emitted from the farm.

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Matt Hancock grilled by Kay Burley on MPs wearing masks

Unpleasant as this might be the smell gives us a warning and we can take appropriate action. Viruses also comprise particles and while their speed and area of distribution depend on the prevailing environment they can be like Mario on steroids. However, viruses do not have a detectable ‘warning’ smell; indeed, they can supress a host’s sense of smell to protect themselves.

Of course, in the case of smells, intensity and proximity to the source play a part in the level of tolerability and the risk that your body will not be able to fight off inhaled pathogens.

There is no doubt that wearing a face covering reduces the risk of infection, but the same rule applies: if you can smell it, you have inhaled it.

The Government lists twenty places on its website where face coverings should be worn to reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19, although some, such as pubs, are redundant during lockdown 3.

All of these places are inside buildings or vehicles but there is no mention of face coverings being necessary outdoors.

Inside buildings to which members of the public have access there will inevitably be air movement, whether natural or by air conditioning, and therefore there will be continuous redistribution of any SARS-CoV-2 virus there might be.

Therefore, the Government should be applauded for making it compulsory to wear a face covering in these places, but this is not enough to rely on the ‘2metre’ rule outdoors.

Day after day we see on television or read about crowds of people in parks and beauty spots and groups of people protesting about lockdown in towns and cities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; few are seen wearing face coverings.

It is time for the Government to step up and make wearing face coverings mandatory everywhere outside the home, and except for those excused on medical grounds, there must be no excuses.

lockdown walkers

Masking reality: Should we have to wear facecovering EVERYWHERE? (Image: Getty)

The difficulty that the Government will face is enforcement - our already overstretched police forces cannot be in two places at the same time – but a possible solution to this problem would be to give military personnel all necessary authority and to deploy them to large towns and cities.

But there is a secondary way: role models doing their bit.

Every time football and cricket highlights are shown on television, we see players not wearing face coverings and hugging one another.

Rugby, particularly union, is even worse; 80 minutes of sweaty bodily contact.

It might well be that players have been tested and been shown not to have the virus, but the message that this ‘freedom’ sends to their supporters and others is the wrong one.

Many of these supporters (apparently) worship the ground on which their heroes stand so would they follow suit if their heroes wore face coverings?

It could be worth a shot.