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Only one in 20 UK adults no longer wear a mask outside their home despite the easing of legal mask-wearing requirements earlier this month, according to the first official survey into compliance with Covid measures since the “Freedom Day”.
The number of adults claiming to wear face coverings outside their homes remained at 95%, the same as the week before the warrant was lifted, according to the figures. A high proportion of adults still felt that compliance with Covid safety measures was important or very important – such as wearing a face covering when shopping (89% last week, 90% the previous week) and social distancing of those who were not part of their household (88% last week, 89% the previous week).
The data, which covers the days between July 21 and July 25, comes from a survey of 3,784 adults in Britain by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). On July 19, most restrictions in England were lifted and masks ceased to be compulsory.
Additionally, 69% of those polled said they had seen everyone or almost everyone wearing face coverings when shopping in the past seven days. Those who say they always or often maintained social distancing fell slightly, from 63% last week to 61%, according to the report.
Despite the unlock earlier this month, Boris Johnson says he expects masks to be worn in crowded places. They also remain compulsory on London transport and certain services across the country. Hospitals, general practitioners and other healthcare providers may also require patients and visitors to wear masks, unless they are exempt. As of July 19, social distancing rules have also ended.
Overall, the results were broadly in line with responses collected the week before the reopening. Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) Behavioral Sciences subcommittee, said the latest data from the ONS confirmed previous polls.
“Most people felt that the removal of protections on the 19th July was too fast and they would continue to wear masks and at spatial distance. This confirms what has been clear throughout the pandemic – that the public understood the dangers and acted upon them; that the public was not the weak link in the response to the pandemic, ”he said.
“In many ways, what we see is what we saw after the Cummings affair: that people join in spite of and not because of the government. So far, so good. But the problem is, people can’t protect themselves as much. They also need information and government support. So while you want to make sure you stay in safe environments, how can you do that if the environments are not safe (well ventilated, with proper distancing in place, etc.)? For people to play their part (and they try), government must play theirs. And that is not happening.
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