Do you wear a mask outdoors? don't you put it on?

Do you wear a mask when you go out, or not?

In principle, the government does not require masks outdoors, and Prime Minister Kishida himself is starting to promote himself to convey that message.

However, if you look at the city, many people are wearing masks.

Why are you wearing a mask outdoors?

(Wakayama Broadcasting Station Reporter Keiichiro Ito Osaka Broadcasting Station Reporter Hikari Kitamori)

Prime Minister Kishida also removes his mask

On October 9, Prime Minister Kishida, who visited the F1 Japan Grand Prix held at Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, temporarily took off his mask and inspected.

Regarding the wearing of masks, the government has indicated that

it is not necessary outdoors in principle

, and that it is not necessary to keep a distance of 2 meters even indoors and if you rarely talk

.

Although it was shown in May this year, the country is also promoting it as a country that has not yet gained sufficient understanding.

Regarding this policy, Mayor Obana of Wakayama City also said at a press conference, "I'm confused about wearing a mask, or it's a very confusing situation, and even if I don't wear it based on the rules, I feel like I'm being looked at. Yes, ”he said, and indicated that he would once again call for the possibility of removing the mask in places where the risk of infection is low.

why are you wearing a mask?

Is the appeal of the government and local governments reaching the citizens?

I asked in Wakayama City about wearing a mask outdoors.

Female in her teens: “I’m

afraid of getting infected, so I can’t remove it.”

Male in her 60s

: “I think it’s outdoors.

When I asked 30 people,

18 people

said they would wear them, 4 people said they would use them when there were many people, and

8 people

said they would not wear them.

There were various reasons, but in addition to infection control, there were multiple voices saying, ``I can't remove it because I'm worried about the eyes around me.''

Male in his 40s

: "I'm worried about what everyone else thinks. If I don't wear it when everyone else wears it, I feel uncomfortable. Maybe if I take it off now, everyone will see it, so I'm a little worried about it.

Female

in her

30s :

“

I feel like I would do it if there were people around me.

Because everyone is doing it."

I understand.

Even if you know it's a scene where you don't have to put it on, you can't remove it.

When everyone around you is wearing a mask, you may feel uneasy about whether or not you can remove it.

Public facilities "cannot be summoned"

As we proceeded with the interview, we found that some public facilities in Wakayama City did not dare to call for masks to be worn outdoors.

Shikinosato Park, a roadside station in Wakayama City, has a playground, a market selling local vegetables, and a restaurant, making it a popular sightseeing spot for families.

In the park, posters made by the prefecture are calling for the wearing of masks for indoor facilities.

On the other hand, it is said that they did not dare to call for outdoor correspondence.

Michi-no-Eki Shiki-no-Sato Park Deputy Station Manager Rino Takayasu

"We are leaving the decision to the customers about the outdoors. There is a possibility that the 8th wave will come from now on, and it is safe from here, so I am calling on everyone to remove it. Even if we set up a signboard to call out to people, if there are infected people, we may be held responsible..." When I asked the

prefecture, they posted it on their homepage and SNS such as Twitter. Although the government's policy is posted, it means that it is up to each facility how to call.

As a prefecture, we will not actively call for the fact that there are situations where it is okay to remove the mask.

Why is it different from overseas?

It's been 3 years since the new corona infection spread.

Overseas, the media are increasingly reporting on the state of people enjoying sightseeing and watching sports without masks.

How should we deal with masks in the future?

Experts who study people's behavior during the corona crisis point out that differences in the policies of each country may have an impact on how masks are worn.

Professor Emeritus Naoki Sato of Kyushu Institute of Technology

"While there are countries overseas that have made it mandatory to wear masks through laws and rules, in Japan, requests have been the main focus, and no enforceable rules have been used. Even so, I feel that many people wore masks due to pressure to conform.Not wearing a mask was seen as an act of nuisance to people, and the public eye put pressure on them.That is the law. For this reason, while overseas the message is that masks can be removed if the obligation is abolished, in Japan, if the public eye does not change, they should be removed. No. I think we are in this situation right now.”

After analyzing this, Professor Emeritus Sato points out that the government and local governments are not disseminating information sufficiently.

"There is no clear message from the top of the country about the fact that masks can be removed outdoors. Prime Minister Kishida himself will not hold a press conference and use scientific evidence to make a strong message. I don't think things will change much."

Be careful when removing Do not relax infection control measures

While creating an environment that makes it easy for people who want to remove their masks, we must not loosen our infection control measures.

We asked Professor Yusuke Koizumi of Wakayama Medical University, who specializes in infectious diseases, what precautions should be taken when removing the mask.

Professor Koizumi

"As per the government's policy, if you are outdoors and keep a distance from others, there is almost no risk of infection, and there is no problem even if you do not wear a mask. If you do things with it off, you will forget to wear it in situations where you have to wear it.It is necessary to switch it well, such as when you are talking.There is no doubt that the 8th wave of the new corona will come. If you don't wear a mask when you do something that could infect others, you could get infected or infect other people. If we only say that it is okay to wear it, it might give the misunderstanding that the spread of the coronavirus is over.The coronavirus is not over yet, so I would like you to wear it whenever you need it.”

People who wear it and people who don't wear it

From October 11th, the new coronavirus's border measures have been greatly relaxed, and the entry of individual foreign travelers other than tours has been lifted for the first time in about two and a half years.

Social activities are gradually returning to what they were before the corona disaster.

On the other hand, there are concerns about the simultaneous epidemic of the 8th wave of the new coronavirus and influenza this winter, and it is necessary to continue to keep a good relationship with masks.

In any case, it is scientifically necessary to judge whether it is necessary or not to wear it.

On top of that, I would like to ask the national and local governments to disseminate information more carefully so that we can create a society that respects the opinions of those who wear masks and those who do not.