People are again being advised to stay home if they feel unwell or wear a mask amid a spate of winter illnesses circulating.
The UK Health Security Agency issued guidance earlier this week amid high levels of Covid, scarlet fever and flu. Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins said: "Adults should also try to stay home when unwell and if you do have to go out, wear a face covering. When unwell don’t visit healthcare settings or visit vulnerable people unless urgent."
Coronavirus data showed that cases increased by 36.3% in the week leading up to December 19. Similarly, in Leeds cases were up by 35.8% in that same week - however they have since decreased in the week leading up to December 31.
Read more: Leeds restaurants, pubs, bars and shops we've loved and lost in 2022
I went to the high street in Horsforth to ask residents and business owners their thoughts and whether they would support compulsory masks again. Like most of the city, most people in Horsforth weren't wearing masks, though one or two had them on.
Horsforth Greengrocers owner Mick told LeedsLive: "I totally agree. I think it’s opening up back to where it was going last time. It does worry me - I’ve got elderly parents and they’ve been full of cold recently.
"It wasn’t Covid but there’s a lot of it about and I’m all for [masks coming back]. I’d go back to the basics and have just one person in the shop at the time and have people two metres apart if it got bad again.
“It’s got to go back to basics. If the numbers are rising it’s straight to masks. It’s not rocket science. I haven’t had it but I’ve had my fourth jab and flu jab. People around here usually do wear masks when needed - it’s a good community.”
1 Toy 2 Play owner Julio Tumalan said he thought it would be hard to get everyone back to following restrictions after revelations the government didn't follow them.
He said: "My opinion is that after Partygate people won’t follow the regulations. Also, if they have the need to work, regardless of the symptoms they might not report them. Do you stay at home with no pay or go to work and not report it?
"I don’t think most people would wear masks again, though I would wear one to protect my customers if it was needed.
"I know of several people around that have had a flu very strong variant recently but when they tested it was negative. It can knock you out for weeks and it can easily be confused with Covid.”
In the UK, mask wearing stopped being a legal requirement in January 2022 and it was left up to business owners to request people to wear masks in their premises.
In general, most people in Horsforth felt ambivalent about any possibility of masks coming back, with several saying they'd be fine to wear one in crowded spaces if cases increased significantly again.
A resident, 40, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I haven’t got an issue with compulsory masks, but I just feel it’s closing the door after the horse has bolted. We all live with Covid now and it should be a personal choice.
"Masks didn’t bother me much - the main inconvenience was forgetting your mask somewhere you needed it! I’m not really worried about Covid at the moment as I’m vaccinated and all my family are. I’ve had it before though and I do understand why some people who are elderly or infirm might be more worried.”
It's a similar story in the US, with some states calling for the re-introduction of mask-wearing measures. Some school districts in America have brought back masks to stop the spread of Covid, flu and RSV.
For Simon, owner of wine store and bar Once Upon a Vine, Covid is fresh on the mind. When he spoke to LeedsLive, he was on his first day back at work after a particularly nasty bout of coronavirus.
"I know lots of people have been asymptomatic when they had it but I definitely suffered quite badly," he said. "I got it the Monday before Christmas.
"I had difficulty smelling and tasting which when you run a wine shop is quite difficult! We'd been really strict following the guidelines here throughout the pandemic so it was the first time I'd had it.
"We had a one in one out policy and that sort of thing and the whole team here completely avoided it. Selfishly, we did quite well through the Covid as everyone was staying home and drinking wine and eating cheese.
"But in an ideal world we'd much rather for hospitality and people's health that it doesn't get worse. But ultimately if it is for people's health and that's what needs to happen then it's what needs to happen.
"I had put it to the back of my mind in the last few months but having just had it myself it was quite unpleasant. I don't really want to catch it again so there's a little element of worry about it."
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Read next:
