THEY DON’T HAVE A SCOOBY-DO0
Yesterday the Health Secretary said masks MUST be worn to buy a coffee.. then No10 said NO. But they MUST be worn on a bus. But NOT in an office. And NOT in schools or the pub either. And now you don’t have to wear one AT ALL if you feel ‘distressed’..
MASK chaos continues after ministers gave a fresh barrage of mixed messages about face coverings yesterday – on top of all the previous ones.
BRITAIN’S policy on face masks descended into farce yesterday, with the Government’s mixed messages proving they have not got a Scooby-doo.
No10 said takeaway food outlets will not be covered by the law – just hours after Matt Hancock said the opposite. The Health Secretary, right, started a chaotic day by insisting masks must be worn to get takeaway coffee as places such as Pret A Manger are a “shop”. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan accused the Government of “risking the health of the public”.
He tweeted: “This is frankly ridiculous. The virus doesn’t know if you’re in a takeaway or a supermarket.” Mr Hancock suggested the crucial point was people needed to wear masks if they were not getting table service. And he confusingly claimed ordering at the bar in a pub is not allowed, despite official guidance saying it is. Just hours later Downing Street said face coverings will not have to be worn when buying takeaway food and drinks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said cafés and eateries will not be included as the system will only apply in “shops and supermarkets”.
But less than an hour later, Chancellor Rishi Sunak posted a snap of himself, in Pret, wearing a mask. To make matters worse, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove claimed over the weekend that masks in shops would not be made compulsory, contradicting remarks by Mr Johnson, top, last Friday.
But yesterday Mr Gove fell into line and was pictured wearing a mask.
Mayor Mr Khan added: “The Government is risking the health of the public to cover the back of a Cabinet Minister. Please wear a face covering in all shops and takeaways.”
And yesterday Mr Hancock denied masks will be compulsory in offices, 24 hours after Environment Secretary George Eustice refused to rule it out.
Official Government guidance says people can have a “legitimate” excuse for escaping the £100 fine for not wearing a mask if it causes them “distress”.
The Government announced yesterday that the UK death toll was up to 45,053, a rise of 85.
WE have said it many times. Your Daily Star is not a political paper. But when we see our readers being treated with utter contempt, we will always stand up for them. And that’s exactly what is happening right now. The way Boris and his ministers are behaving is an insult to us all. We are sick of the lies, false promises and complete confusion. Our readers deserve so much better than what we are getting from this lot. The face mask fiasco sums it up. Every day, this saga gets increasingly absurd – with more U-turns than a dodgy plumber. We just want a straight answer. But frankly, no-one has a clue what’s going on. It was exactly the same with the PPE shambles. And the care homes. Let’s not forget our friend Dominic Cummings and his dodgy eyesight, too. Boris has promised an independent inquiry into the Government’s handling of the pandemic. We already know the answer. It would be nice to see a bit of honesty and leadership for once.
It’s the very least we deserve.