Revealed, how supermarket shoppers rate in the mask stakes
THE EXAMINER SEES HOW MANY COVER UP IN TOWN’S STORES
A YEAR on from the nation’s second lockdown in which many of us were separated from our families, tucked away behind a wall of PPE and unvaccinated – many of our thoughts may have turned now to what this winter may hold.
With restrictions no longer in place and vaccination uptake on the rise, one question still continues to polarise opinion - face masks.
Some people no longer wish to wear masks, while others may never leave the house without one. Some people will wear them depending on the situation, for example, when visiting vulnerable relatives or when on public transport, but not while at work or shopping.
While face masks are no longer required by law, they are still recommended where possible, particularly in enclosed or crowded spaces and on public transport.
Ultimately, however, the decision on whether to wear one boils down to personal preference.
In order to investigate mask habits in Huddersfield, we set out to count how many people wore masks in several supermarkets across the town.
Of the 683 people we observed shopping, fewer than 100 wore masks.
Asda came out on top with the highest proportion of mask wearers overall, with 17.39% of the 69 shoppers observed, spotted wearing one.
This was closely followed by Sainsbury’s, with 17.35% of 219 shoppers observed also opting to continue mask wearing.
Tesco and Morrisons weren’t far behind either, with just 15.78 and 14.81% respectively, of customers spotted wearing a mask while shopping.
At the opposite end of the scale, only 4.65% of 43 shoppers at Lidl were seen wearing a mask.
With fellow budget chain Aldi, just avoiding the bottom spot as 4.76% of the 81 shoppers observed, opted to wear a face covering.
There was also a noticeable age split in those opting to wear masks and those that did not. The majority of mask wearers appeared to be older in age, although there were also some pockets of younger student-aged adults also wearing them.
This finding is consistent with recent ONS statistics, which showed that women and older adults place the greatest importance on Covid-19 preventative measures.
Between 6 and 17 October, 2021, 87% of women and 81% of men considered wearing face coverings to be important.
Meanwhile, people aged 16 to 29 years were less likely than those aged 70 years and over to view social distancing as important or very important (75% compared with 90%). All four measures of Covid prevention – hand washing, face coverings, social distancing and ventilation, were all reportedly seen as less important to younger people, when compared to older adults.
According to recent data published by the Kirklees Information Service, at the end of last month, 7% of all adults over 60 that were tested for Coronavirus received a positive result.
By contrast, 12% of those tested in the wider population (0-59) were identified as testing positive for the virus.
Could older residents’ continued mask wearing be a key component of their decline in case numbers?
A recent study conducted by Stanford University and Yale University into how masks impact upon community transmission of the virus seems to think so, with researchers concluding that as a group, those aged 50 to 60 were 23% less likely to develop Covid19 if they wore a surgical mask, and those over 60 were 35% less likely if they did.
This isn’t the only preventative measure that may have had an impact however, with a recent surge in vaccinations and the roll out of the booster programme also likely to have played a part.
As of November 11, 2021, more than 90% of all adults living in Kirklees over the age of 55 have been vaccinated against the virus.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself is to maintain social distancing, wear a mask where possible and to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.