That's not what the mask for
A Labour MP has been spotted cleaning her glasses with her mask in the House of Commons.
Siobhain McDonagh was seen rubbing her spectacles with the mask during a debate on planning reforms on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/anthonyfrost96/status/1314249961370984448
The clip went viral on social media, and the response was understandably not great.
"At this point I give up," said one Twitter user. "What the f*** is this?" added another.
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https://twitter.com/LelJoyce/status/1314516671277694976
https://twitter.com/AmberSneddon99/status/1314511671709306884
Siobhain McDonagh is the Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden. She has held the seat since 1997.
In England, people are currently required to wear a mask while on public transport, in stations and transport hubs, shops, entertainment venues, and many other indoor public spaces.
Advice on the government website regarding face masks says:
- avoid touching the part of the face covering in contact with your mouth and nose, as it could be contaminated with the virus
- change the face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it
- avoid taking it off and putting it back on a lot in quick succession
In regards to wearing face coverings at a work place, the advice states that "employers should assess the use of face coverings on a case by case basis depending on the workplace environment."
The police can take measures "if members of the public do not comply with [face covering laws] without a valid exemption".
Police and Transport for London (TfL) officers can issue fines of £200 for a first offence (reduced to £100 if they are paid within 14 days).
The fines can then double for multiple offences - for instance, you can then be fined £400 for a second offence, £800 for a third offence, all the way up to a maximum value of £6,400.
Exemptions to the rules include "people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability," and children under eleven.
