The Lemon Fool

Just returned from a week in 3 different regions of Germany. In hotels, restaurants and cafes, they ask to see your 2-jabs proof, but unlike France, don't check its validity with an app. Everyone wears masks indoors in public settings, and in cafes/restaurants people put their masks on before moving around inside. In one supermarket I was told by the cashier that my fabric-only mask didn't meet their standards, telling me "so please remember for next time".

From 2 brief stops in bits of Belgium it's very different there. Mask-wearing at motorway service stations is 50% at best (including staff), and in a cafe, no staff members wore a mask.

Total cases per million
UK 129K
Belgium 114K
Germany 53K
source
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
just saying...

zico wrote:Just returned from a week in 3 different regions of Germany. In hotels, restaurants and cafes, they ask to see your 2-jabs proof, but unlike France, don't check its validity with an app. Everyone wears masks indoors in public settings, and in cafes/restaurants people put their masks on before moving around inside. In one supermarket I was told by the cashier that my fabric-only mask didn't meet their standards, telling me "so please remember for next time".

From 2 brief stops in bits of Belgium it's very different there. Mask-wearing at motorway service stations is 50% at best (including staff), and in a cafe, no staff members wore a mask.

Everyone wears masks indoors in public settings, and in cafes/restaurants people put their masks on before moving around inside.

It was once like that here, and in my view we were much better off. We have just become too lax about these simple measures. What we need is good old fashioned community cohesion were people feel awkward if they are not doing the decent and polite thing.
I particularly hate the way folk ignore polite requests to wear masks in venues where the host company makes it quite plain that that is expected if you buy a ticket. You wouldn't ignore a request by someone to take off your muddy shoes when going into their house: how is not complying with a request to wear a mask any different. It is their operation and prerogative to ask you to comply. If you don't like it, just don't buy the ticket - simple!

A YouGov survey found 81% in England would support mandatory mask-wearing on public transport, and 76% in shops.

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/ar ... ng-and-soc

Scott.

swill453 wrote:A YouGov survey found 81% in England would support mandatory mask-wearing on public transport, and 76% in shops.

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/ar ... ng-and-soc

Scott.

Interesting - so why don't 80% of the population just do it?

zico wrote:Just returned from a week in 3 different regions of Germany. In hotels, restaurants and cafes, they ask to see your 2-jabs proof, but unlike France, don't check its validity with an app.

How does an app check the validity of your vaccination card?

Lootman wrote:

zico wrote:Just returned from a week in 3 different regions of Germany. In hotels, restaurants and cafes, they ask to see your 2-jabs proof, but unlike France, don't check its validity with an app.

How does an app check the validity of your vaccination card?

You download the NHS app which has proof of your double vaccination, and the French app reads the bar code. We had a.couple of occasions where the French app said 'non' to our proof, but we had printouts of our vax status, and they let us eat at our restaurants anyway.

zico wrote:

Lootman wrote: How does an app check the validity of your vaccination card?

You download the NHS app which has proof of your double vaccination, and the French app reads the bar code. We had a.couple of occasions where the French app said 'non' to our proof, but we had printouts of our vax status, and they let us eat at our restaurants anyway.

Ah OK. They would have to allow for paper or card backup proof anyway.

Partly for those who do not have a smartphone. Partly for those who were vaccinated in other countries and so cannot have the NHS app.