Making masks mandatory gives clarity

Initially ruled out by western health experts as ineffective, we were told that ill-fitting face coverings could actually make the problem worse as people continually touch their faces to adjust them.

A year on, much has been learned and masks are not only recommended but, from Saturday, mandatory inside the Bailiwick’s public buildings.

It is a belt-and-braces approach. Islanders have embraced the use of face coverings when in public surprisingly well, given that they were never part of the first lockdown.

However, a small group of people, perhaps in part influenced by the mask politics that have blighted the US thanks to its former President, have yet to heed the advice.

Given that you do not wear a mask for your own protection so much as other people’s, it is galling for the majority who are doing the right thing to be put at risk by a minority who are not.

By making mask wearing legally enforceable for all those without a good reason the Civil Contingencies Authority has taken a bold step. They would have preferred to avoid using the law and rely instead on the public’s good sense.

But, as with so many aspects of this pandemic, clarity is important. The evidence is there that the new variant of the virus is unforgiving in its ability to spread.

One person infected by Covid-19 who fails to follow the precautions can pass on the disease to scores of islanders in a single day.

Given that we are at a critical stage with the distribution of vaccines the island must do everything it can to buy time for that process to take effect and get the most vulnerable protected.

We now know that wearing masks indoors – and outdoors when near people – is a strong weapon in Public Health’s armoury to limit the spread of Covid-19 will be limited.

Moreover, for most people shopping, going to the doctors or any other public activity it is a painless, if irksome, solution.