Covid: Are people wearing masks less often?
How many people are wearing masks?
The proportion of people wearing masks has steadily declined.
Between 18 July and 17 October, the percentage of people in England, Scotland and Wales who said they had worn a face covering outside their home in the past seven days dropped 13 percentage points, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Of respondents over the age of 16, 95% said they had worn a mask in the week before remaining social distancing restrictions were lifted. By mid-October, this was down to 82%.
A similar trend was found by the polling company YouGov.
Between 15 July and 22 September there was an 12-point drop (from 72% to 60%) in the number of people in the UK who said they were "wearing a face mask when in public places".
Both surveys relied on people saying whether or not they had worn masks. It is possible some people said they done so when they had not.
Older people were more likely to support mask wearing, according to the ONS.
Among over-70s,92% thought wearing a mask was important to slow the spread of Covid. However, only 80% of 16-29 year-olds thought the same.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58979626