Be strict on masks like holiday isles
I RECENTLY returned from a fiveweek holiday in Tenerife, where I felt extremely safe. Most locals and tourists abide by the rule that face masks are mandatory inside and outside, unless you are exercising. Police patrol cars question people who are not wearing masks. The first week I was there, a tourist couple were stopped. The woman quickly put on her mask, which had been wrapped around her wrist. The man didn’t have a mask and, though a passer-by gave him one, the couple continued to argue with the police. They were arrested. On another day, two Spanish teenage girls were sitting on a wall and talking. The police politely told them to socially distance, which they did without arguing. The locals know the repercussions of not obeying the law! In supermarkets, it is mandatory to wear disposable plastic gloves, supplied free of charge, when handling fruit or veg. This is normal, everyday practice. How many times in Britain do you see people handling produce and then putting it back? There is a 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants, and people are given time to return to their accommodation. To date, there have been 484 deaths owing to coronavirus in the Canary Islands. It’s no excuse saying Britain has a much larger population. All it takes is for everyone to abide by the rules so that we can return to some kind of normality. We can’t blame the Government for everything; we have to take responsibility for our own actions.
MRS SYLVIA PILGRIM, Manchester.
WHY isn’t the Government insisting that we all wear face masks outdoors, not just in shops and on public transport? Other countries have been strict about this, issuing fines to those who don’t comply.
AS A nurse with a brother-in-law on a ventilator in intensive care, I beg people to exercise locally and not travel to beauty spots. Hordes of visitors are parking up for the day and going for walks in our beautiful countryside complete with rucksacks. It is not safe to drive for an hour or two to find somewhere pretty for a walk. I can’t believe that after all this time people can be so selfish.
S. STOW, Thornton-le-dale, n. Yorks.