On Monday the guard on the LNWR train made an announcement about face coverings which I thought was very professional, unbiased and sensitive across a broad range. He firstly clearly stated that face coverings were no longer mandatory and that passengers weren't required to wear them, free to make their own choice. He then, however, went on to gently ask passengers to be mindful of their surroundings on the journey, and potentially to consider wearing a covering if the train became busy, out of consideration for other passengers.
I keep reading this line that the virus won't go away and whilst I think that this is probably true, it doesn't mean that we should throw all caution to the wind at this point, particularly with the current infection rates in this country.
I sometimes think about post-war Britain in relation to pandemic restrictions; the food rationing was a direct response to the money shortage brought on because of the wartime spending, in a way that the restrictions are a response to keeping infection rates under control. I don't think the current level of restrictions and guidance/enforcement of face coverings in some settings are as oppressive as what the years of rationing must have been like.