Face masks could well deter shoppers

From: Jerry Holland, Bankside Close, York.

I DO not always agree with comments by Jayne Dowle, but her article (The Yorkshire Post, July 16) was right on the mark.

There is little evidence that the wearing of face coverings plays a significant role in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in public, but they are quite likely to have a negative effect on the footfall in retail premises.

Shopping, other than for food, is predominantly a discretionary activity, and in order to persuade people to spend their money on often unnecessary items, it needs to be relaxing and enjoyable.

Covering one’s face, and being surrounded by other people wearing face masks, may give confidence to some, but others, like myself, will feel that it is a generally unpleasant experience and it may discourage a large number of people from visiting other than for essentials.

The likely outcome is a further decline in visits to the high street, leading to more shop closures and greater unemployment.

Fortunately, I do not need to wear a face covering to order online from the relative comfort of my home.

From: Brenda Batty, Heworth Hall Drive, Heworth, York.

IN response to Jayne Dowle, I, for one, won’t be using shops. I will use online and patronise the super open markets in our region.

I think wearing masks is quite the opposite of instilling confidence, it gives the impression that the situation is worse than before even though the R rate is coming down. Shops may well find that they are losing money. The “that looks nice” impulse buy may disappear as shoppers rush around desperate to get out of a menacing and somewhat threatening environment. I think it is all about politics and the fear of litigation.

I had lunch recently at a small café and commented that some people were making a fortune out of the situation. His response was “You can say that again. I used to pay £10 for a 100 disposable gloves for kitchen staff. I now have to pay £69.”

He also agreed with me that soap and water was as good as, if not better, than this so-called sanitiser they have to use on tables and chairs.

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

I FEEL sympathy for some of the shopkeepers in towns like ours. Who is going to enforce the law on face masks when shopping?

The police presence here is almost non-existent so shopkeepers will be left high and dry should they be faced with a lout who refuses to cover up and becomes unruly.

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

NEIL McNicholas (The Yorkshire Post, July 14) thinks that the Government should require everyone to wear a mask whenever they are outside their homes.

It is fine to expect masks to be worn in shops,but there are sadly too many mindless idiots out there to enable this to work. That does not, of course, stop anyone from doing so voluntarily.