Seventy-one per cent of people in Londonderry say they intend to wear a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s close to the proportion of Londoners (75%) who say they plan to wear a mask.
Research published today by The N95 Mask Company reveals the nation’s mask-wearing intentions as the UK awaits the government’s ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ announcement.
The UK Mask Map highlights the top five cities and towns in the UK planning to embrace face masks and the top five areas where masks are being shunned. It also reveals mask-wearing trends across the UK, by region.
Cities including Durham, London and Newcastle ranked highest for their mask-wearing intentions, whereas Leicester, Dudley and Wrexham had the lowest rates for people intending to wear masks.
Greater London (76%), North East England (68%) and Wales (61%) were the top areas for mask-wearing, with the South East (56%), East England (52%) and the East Midlands (50%) ranking lowest.
Earlier this week 14 top scientists from the Royal Society put an end to the mask debate, confirming, based on scientific evidence, that face masks are an important tool for fighting the coronavirus.
Face masks are already central to the lockdown exit strategies of many countries where wearing face masks is now mandatory in public, however the UK government is yet to set rules on mask-wearing.
According to the survey of 2,000 UK adults, three in five adults said they would wear a mask (61%) in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and, reassuringly, 95 percent would wear one if they presented coronavirus symptoms.
Top five towns and cities embracing face masks are:
- Durham = 78% will wear
- London = 75% will wear
- Newcastle upon Tyne = 76% will wear
- Dundee = 74% will wear
- Derry = 71% will wear
Top five towns and cities avoiding face masks are:
- Leicester = 68% won’t wear
- Dudley = 60% won’t wear
- Wrexham = 56% won’t wear
- Southampton = 55% won’t wear
- Warrington = 54% won’t wear
NHS GP and Clinical Advisor to The N95 Mask Company, Dr Gero Baiarda said it’s concerning that so many people are choosing not to wear any face-covering, despite the latest government advice that covering the face could play an important part in the fight against the spread.
“I suspect the widespread use of masks by the public will be integral to the gradual easing of UK lockdown restrictions as they have been in other countries globally,” added Dr Gero Baiarda.
“It is without doubt that there are a number of physical and psychological barriers to wearing masks, but these must be put aside in the interest of our health. My advice to everyone is to wear a face mask whenever you might come into close proximity with other people outside of your own home – this could be in an open or closed space. If you find yourself having to consciously maintain a two-metre distance, you should be wearing a mask.
“When choosing a mask, it is important to ensure there is a tight seal with no gaps as this will maximise the protection it provides.”
Ayrton Campbell, Founder of The N95 Mask Company said their ambition is to ensure everyone in the UK has access to a steady supply of effective face masks.
“We have offered our entire stock and supply infrastructure support to the NHS, and should they decide to accept at any point we will revert to supplying the NHS as a priority.”
To promote a steady supply of effective face masks for everyone in the UK, and to discourage stockpiling, The N95 Mask Company offers a 10 percent discount to customers who subscribe to receive a regular, guaranteed delivery of face masks. The company promotes an ‘active pricing pledge’, meaning they will pass on the savings to subscribed customers if they are able to source the product at a lower price.