NHS boss' advice ahead of change to face mask rules

Wearing a face covering will become mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England from July 24, much like they have been compulsory on public transport since mid-June.

Those who fail to wear a mask will face a fine of up to £100, which will be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.

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In St Helens, the rate of infection remains fairly low, but neighbouring Knowsley recently saw a worrying spike in cases before subsiding.

Rowan Pritchard Jones, medical director at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals, said this highlights the precarious position we currently find ourselves in.

He said: “We know that Knowsley puts its head above the parapet in the last two weeks, with something of an unexpected rise that’s now subsided.

“We can’t be complacent, and we must, I think, accept a new way of living life.

“Like when you out your seatbelt on when you go in the car, you put your mask on when you’re going out to the shops. You wash your hands.

“And it’s those two things which remain crucial.”

Public health chiefs have been advising using face coverings in enclosed spaces since the beginning of June.

A cloth face covering, which must be washed regularly, should cover your mouth and can be as simple as a scarf or bandanna that ties behind the head.

Disposable face masks are also widely available to purchase in may shops and supermarkets.

The government hopes making face coverings compulsory in more scenarios will now send out a stronger message of their importance.

The other key public health message, washing your hands regularly with soap and hot water, remains vital, as does maintaining social distancing.

And it is also crucial to continue to use your common sense as we adapt to this strange new way of life.

“People have still got to have their common sense on a high setting,” Mr Pritchard Jones said.

“The people who have bought their own or made their own cotton ones, you’ve got to keep washing them because there is a virus that’s lurking on that thing, you need to get that washed.

“Our disposable ones are exactly that, they are disposed of. Don’t keep wearing them until they are hanging off you.

“If you’re not wearing them, put them into one of your freezer bags, seal it up, wash your hands and it’s ready to use for next time.”

Whiston Hospital’s medical director also has a message for the younger people who may feel they do not need to take measures to protect themselves.

“Sadly, this can have catastrophic consequences for young people,” he said.

“But it’s not just about that selfish thing of, ‘I’m alright’, what about the risk of spreading that to your friends and your family? This is about us being a community.

“People have done that haven’t they through COVID, you’ve just got to see the number of rainbows in the windows.

The road markings are close to Whiston Hospital

“Now more than ever we must remain a community that cares for each other by behaving well, and is prepared to gently remind each other to behave well.

“We’d ask someone to put a cigarette out if they lit up in the pub and in the same way need to be prepared to offer a spare mask of it’s in your pocket and someone doesn’t have one.

“It’s not about saying ‘why aren’t you wearing that,’ it’s ‘can I offer you a spare one’. If we keep doing this with kindness then the community will get through it.

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“People are still scared. There are vulnerable people who’ve shielded for 12 weeks who are venturing out and they are scared.

“And they need to be reassured that their fellow citizens around them will behave well, will give them space and distance.

“It’s that combination, masks, keep your hands clean and keep your distance.”