Covid-19 has changed our world. Different governments handled this situation in different ways. In most of the Asian and European countries, masks became obligatory in all closed public spaces. This is especially important in restaurants where chefs and waiters handle food and meet many people. But in London, it seems (and probably also in some other places) this obviously doesn’t matter. And yet, it should. Restaurants suffered heavily during the lockdown but most of London restaurants don’t do enough to prevent another lockdown.
Yesterday I met for a coffee with a friend. The waitress (without mask) at the first cafe we visited, a cafe with tables outside set with menu etc, told us, that we can sit outside, but we need to come inside to order. Let me tell you that there was no guest in the cafe (neither outside nor inside), so we found the policy that requests guests to enter the closed space where there was no need for that, absurd. As a consequence, we went elsewhere. At the next cafe, staff didn’t wear masks as well and the menu on the table was not freshly printed for us but reusable. How many people touched it, nobody knows. During our chat, my friend told me that a week before she visited a famous Michelin starred restaurant in London and also there nobody wore masks. The same situation repeated in a wine shop I visited. When I talked to them, they said that masks were obligatory only for customers, but not for staff!
As we know, a mask really doesn’t protect the wearer, but it does protect people we come in touch with. Wearing a mask is a sign of respect and care towards others. So I find the policy that customers have to wear masks, but staff doesn’t need to, mildly said, strange. We should protect the staff, but the staff, that serves so many different people, doesn’t need to protect us?
Sadly the law on this is very relaxed in the UK (as well as probably in some other countries) so it is on us to raise awareness. I am starting with this today. I got the idea after a long phone call with Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur this morning, who told me that they all wear masks and illustrated it with photos which I am publishing here. If his team can, why can’t others? Let’s change this! Please, chefs, cheffes, waiters, waitresses and all others who care about your customers’ and your own health and safety, take a photo of yourself with a mask, post it on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and write a few words about why wearing a mask is important. So your guests will know that eating at your restaurant or buying at your shop is as safe as possible. Please tag me as well, so I can share it too. Let’s encourage people who don’t wear masks, to start wearing them and let’s promote places where the staff cares enough. If we don’t stop this virus, restaurants and shops may need to close again. Nobody wants this, so let’s all wear masks in public spaces and let’s only visit restaurants and shops where the staff cares enough to wear a mask.
Please use also hashtags #care #wearmasks #fightcorona
For tagging me please use these of my social media profiles:
https://www.instagram.com/hdg_andrejalajh/
https://www.facebook.com/andreja.lajh/
Let’s fight corona together!
Thanks for your support!
