We asked North East people if they'd wear face coverings after July 19

Following on from step four of the Government's roadmap out of lockdown, the legal requirement to wear a face covering indoors will be scrapped from July 19.

It means the use of face coverings will become "personal choice," with the Government issuing advice on their use in crowded, or enclosed spaces.

Read more: Can businesses in England ask you to wear coverings beyond July 19

Before the move was confirmed, proposals for their removal caused quite the stir with the Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer calling the decision "reckless."

He was talking about the decision to lift all restrictions in one go, while calling for face coverings to remain mandatory on public transport.

Meanwhile, the Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it marked a move towards individual exercising their own responsibility, saying they should be worn in certain situations.

What the poll says

But it seems people in the North East and North Yorkshire are generally in favour of sticking with the covering beyond that July date. 

The Northern Echo conducted a straw poll earlier today and saw more than 800 responses from people right across the region.

The poll, which ran for several hours, found that 61 percent - 472 people - said yes when asked whether they would continue to wear a covering.

Meanwhile, 39 per cent - 308 people - said they would not continue to wear a covering, even in areas where it the Government recommends their use.

What people in the region have said about face coverings

We also asked Northern Echo readers for their views and asked them to explain their reasons behind their decision.

One man said he would continue to wear face coverings in shops and enclosed spaces as per the Government advice.

He said: "In shops and enclosed spaces as the pandemic is not over and infections rising again in Durham.

"My masks stops me infecting others if I become infectious which I can even as I have been vaccinated."

Read more: Those with two Covid vaccine jabs won't need to self-isolate

Another person said they would after being concerned over Covid rates in their local area and said: "I will wear mine in supermarkets and public transport, covid very high in Durham."

Another, who said they had received both doses of the Covid vaccine, said they would continue wearing the covering in areas that were generally crowded.

She said: "I sure will in crowded areas, supermarkets and shops - I’m fully vaccinated but it’s still too early to stop wearing masks. And I will keep sanitising my hands too."

"(If) people drop their standards it won’t ease off and we’ll be back to square one again."

Not everyone agrees...

But not everyone agreed and revealed why they would no longer wear coverings beyond the mandatory date. 

One person acknowledged that those who wanted to continue wearing a covering should, but said she "could not wait" for restrictions on them to lift.

She said: Nope, can't wait for them to be binned. They are bloody dirty, horrible things, covered in nasty bacteria.

"Each person has a choice, if it makes you feel safe then ware one but I will be mask free everywhere and can't wait."

Read more: North East MPs divided over face masks after July 19

Another person said she would not wear face coverings beyond July 19 as she said more and more people were now receiving their vaccine.

She said: "No I won’t, (I) wore them for long enough and we are all nearly jabbed."

Meanwhile one man said that they believed the masks had been made effectively redundant as the most vulnerable had now received their Covid vaccine.

He said: "No, just got to get on with life, if the vulnerable have been jabbed (then) what's the problem."

What Boris Johnson said about face coverings this week

As he announced the ending of the requirement to wear face coverings, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week said the legal obligation of their use would be scrapped.

He said: "Guidance will suggest where you might choose to do so - especially when cases are rising and where you come into contact with people you don't usually meet in enclosed spaces, such as obviously crowded public transport."

Meanwhile England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance pledged to wear face masks in certain situations.

Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said earlier today that this was the right approach from the Government’s top scientists.

He told Times Radio Breakfast: “The emphasis from the chief medical officer and the Government chief scientific adviser was to assess your environment.

“They both said they’re going to be wearing masks in many circumstances, as will I.”

Some businesses could still ask you to wear one

But today Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said “there’s no reason” why businesses should not be able to refuse to serve customers without face masks after July 19.

He told Times Radio: “There’s no reason why businesses which have made their own assessments cannot say actually ‘If you come in here we still want you to wear a mask’.

“They can’t mandate it, but neither are businesses mandated to have to serve you, so if you run a nail bar and you want the clients to wear a face mask, you simply say ‘You have to wear a face mask if you want to get your nails done’.

“That’s a good example of some direct, personal, face-to-face contact for a good 40 minutes where you don’t want your staff breathing in what Joe Public is breathing on to you.

“There’s no reason why many businesses can’t actually just say ‘Hang on a minute, in this setting we want you to wear a face mask’.

“I don’t see why public transport companies couldn’t make the same assessment," he added.

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