England set to drop facemasks and social distancing on July 19

[sjpowermac]

I think you need to re-read my original post. I simply said "You don't even have to break the law in doing so, just claim an exemption which are sufficiently vague that anyone can legally do so.". I didn't mention the severe distress exemption specifically but that is just a case of being ambiguous and unspecific rather than saying anything "quite different". The vague and unobjective nature of 'severe distress' means anyone can do so as it seems to be a self-declared condition with no objective assessment.

Thank you for your further clarification and the invitation to re-read your original post, which I’ve now done.

When you say: “just claim an exemption which are sufficiently vague that anyone can legally do so,” I don’t think that’s actually true.

For the avoidance of doubt, are you encouraging people without exemptions to claim one?

 

[kristiang85]

Thank you for your further clarification and the invitation to re-read your original post, which I’ve now done.

When you say: “just claim an exemption which are sufficiently vague that anyone can legally do so,” I don’t think that’s actually true.

For the avoidance of doubt, are you encouraging people without exemptions to claim one?

I guess as the law states that you can claim you are exempt, but proof is not required to be shown, then in essence it *is* legal. Though if a fine went to court, if your defence was simply that you don't believe in masks, then I daresay you might find youself still with a fine to pay (albeit I know these laws are flimsy anyway and a fine could be overturned on another point of order, but that's another matter).

It's a kind of Schroedingers Cat situation, where without the burden of proof needed, you are both legal and illegal at the same time.

 

[Bikeman78]

the exception of course being if they are coughing their lungs up everywhere.

That would have annoyed me long before Covid.

 

[greyman42]

So you are advising people to break the law? That people who are not exempt should claim to be exempt?

As mentioned previously, I absolutely support those who are exempt not to wear a mask.

I also believe that it’s the business of the person concerned as to their reason for exemption.

What you seem to be promoting though is that people without exemptions should claim to be exempt. Is that correct?

I am not advising or promoting anything, but if mass disobedience leads to mask wearing being dropped that's great by me.

 

[Cowley]

OK. We let this latest mask thread run for a bit while people aired their views on the original subject.
It’s become such a divisive subject that any thread we have on masks always ends up in the same kind of circular arguments...

The next time we have one of these threads perhaps it’ll be to discuss the end of mask wearing and that’ll be a different thing to talk about.
So for now let’s all take a breath (sorry) and leave this one where it is.
Thanks for your contributions everyone.