Masks and Biomes

14 months ago, when wearing a mask became compulsory on public transport in England, enforceable under law, I was dead against such legal compulsion on a libertarian basis: "let people make their own judgements on their own safety". I was wrong. I imagined that the primary purpose of wearing a mask was to protect the wearer; it swiftly became clear to me that it was for the protection of others and I changed my view.

So how do we calibrate the current situation where mask wearing is recommended indoors and on public transport but no longer mandatory? I imagine that it might be legally possible for a supermarket to only allow entrance to those with face masks but that's obviously not going to happen. I couldn't find any stats from supermarkets to tell me what percentage of customers are still wearing masks but my own observation is that something like 80% of adults (including me, and the staff) are wearing masks in my local Asda. Cornwall has an older population than some places but this includes summer visitors.

It makes sense to me that crowded indoor venues with minimal ventilation and low ceilings are likely to be places where the still ubiquitous coronavirus can spread quickly. So Mask=On.

Two days ago my friend Tony and I made our first visit to the Eden Project for three to four years. A joyous move towards a new normality? Maybe. Much of the eating, drinking and walking is outdoors, but should I wear a face mask in Eden's iconic Domes? Are they "indoors"? The Mediterranean Biome is 35 metres high with ventilation "used to control heat, airflow and humidity". The Rainforest Biome is 55 metres high, with that same ventilation. In terms of potential for virus spreading, how does that compare with an outdoor venue or, on the other hand, a supermarket or cinema (homex.com tells me "retail ceiling heights start at twelve feet and up")? We are not given this presumably quite significant information. Tony and I estimated somewhere between 15% and 25% of adults were wearing masks in the domes, which means that if I were to wear a mask it would be to protect the remainder, which seems public spirited, even though they are not protecting me, which doesn't.

The UK Government's recently-updated Ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance is of no use whatsoever, giving generalisations such as "Avoid spending time with people you do not live with in spaces with a limited flow of fresh air, such as rooms without ventilation or windows that are never opened." Do the domes have an acceptable flow of fresh air? I don't know.

The  Eden Project FAQs say "We strongly recommend that you continue to wear a face covering in appropriate areas, as indicated by signage on site." The signs around the site have basically the same "we advise you to wear masks indoors" warning as do supermarkets. The same FAQ page is headed by an image showing a family apparently leaving the biomes with no masks.

I spent my time in the biomes dithering between =On and =Off. Mask=On where it got crowded, =Off particularly in the Rainforest Biome where it was hot and muggy. I really don't know where I am on this. I just know that I'm sufficiently uncertain about this venue that I won't be going there again any time soon.

Bring back compulsion! 😒