The pandemic has affected our daily lives. With the UK still largely in lockdown and businesses slow to reopen, many people find they are either continuing to work from home or that they have to face the uncertainty of commutes or public transport to return to work. All businesses have to take precautions, including the use of face coverings, to slow the spread of the virus. How safe do you feel when entering businesses or commuting? Here’s why you should wear a protective face covering (mask) in public.
You can slow the spread of the virus
Many sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you wear a cloth mask (and reserve medical-grade masks for front-line workers and medical professionals) when out in public whilst also observing social distancing and hygiene rules. Since the virus can be spread by people without symptoms, cloth masks and staying around 6 feet (2 metres) away from others can help reduce the spread of Covid-19. Wearing a cloth mask will reduce the risk to you and others and is an excellent preventative measure, but only when used properly.
How to wear your fabric mask
The World Health Organization has produced a video on how to put on your fabric mask safely.
Where can I buy a 3-layer fabric mask?
According to the WHO video and infographic, fabric masks, those purchased and homemade, should contain at minimum three layers.
Tailored face masks such as these contain two fabric layers and a Pm2.5 Particle Filter that contains five layers of protection. The masks can be machine washed (once the filter has been removed with clean hands and safely stored) at a high temperature. The filters can be used for up to seven days before a replacement is needed.
Find a variety of pre-made masks here with the option for customisation.
Countries that require face masks
In many Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, face masks were already common. But other countries have now adopted compulsory face coverings in public. They are as follows (in order of adoption).
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Columbia
- United Arab Emirates
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- Austria
- Morocco
- Turkey
- El Salvador
- Chile
- Cameroon
- Angola
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Zambia
- Israel
- Argentina
- Poland
- Luxembourg
- Jamaica
- Germany
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- Honduras
- Uganda
- France
- Spain
- South Korea
- Lebanon
- Pakistan
It is rumoured that the UK may follow suit.
The grim facts
So far, the UK has suffered from 42,647 deaths from Covid-19 with over 300,000 cases. Although the US is the leader on both infected cases and deaths, the UK is not far behind, especially considering the relative populations. The UK has just over 66 million people and the US has 328 million (with 122,000 coronavirus deaths). Worldwide the death toll is just under half a million.
Since the virus is fatal to many with underlying health conditions, it’s important to keep yourself and others safe from the virus. The responsible way to keep others safe is by wearing a protective covering and understanding measures put in place at businesses you visit (for food, clothing, and other goods).
How we are committed to keeping our customers safe
At A Hand Tailored Suit, we are adding extra precautionary measures to keep our customers safe. We are limiting appointments in our stores, we require all employees to wear masks and gloves, we encourage customers to wear masks and observe social distancing when possible, and we are ensuring extra disinfecting and cleaning methods on site.
Purchase your face mask today with our commitment that 10% of the profits will be donated to the Birmingham Heartlands Charity, directed to the Birmingham chest clinic.
Stay safe and save lives by wearing a face covering today. If you have any questions about the measures we have in place to keep you save, get in touch.
