Asda stock over 4.5 million face coverings to help commuters

Supermarket giant Asda are now stocking over 4.5 million disposable coverings as well as over one million reusable, washable fabric face coverings, following UK Government guidelines that public must wear face coverings on public transport.

Supermarket giant stocking 4.5 million face coverings to support commuters

It comes as a new German study has suggested the compulsory use of facemasks can slow the spread of Covid-19 cases by as much as 40 per cent that scientists said was the best evidence yet for their use.

The coverings, which have been available in store and online since the end of May, are aimed at allowing customers to choose the right one for them to travel safely.

Research conducted by Asda revealed that a fifth of British people (20%) feel uneasy wearing a facial covering in public, with the top reasons being that they would be uncomfortable to wear (28%), worried they would struggle to talk to others (26%) and feel self-conscious of their appearance (21%).

After months of sharing advice and guiding Brits through lock down, Psychologist and This Morning expert, Emma Kenny, has teamed up with Asda to share advice on how to feel less self-conscious about wearing face coverings and help to focus on safety first.

She said: “Wearing a face covering can make us feel unnerved as it is a physical symbol of a challenging time in all of our lives.

“Feeling self-conscious about wearing a face covering, worrying about looking strange, not quite knowing how to communicate without your facial expressions, are all valid feelings and will take time to feel ‘normal’.

“Fortunately, just as we have learnt from rules such as wearing a seatbelt, to booking family holidays outside of term time, we will adapt to this new, and likely temporary measure of wearing face coverings on public transport.”

An Asda spokesperson said “It’s understandable that some people feel uneasy about wearing a face covering – but we’re making sure we’ve got a range of practical solutions available that are great value to make it as easy as possible.

“We have seen a surge in demand for face coverings, so it is clear customers are taking these guidelines seriously.

“We have launched two options for customers that both offer great value.

“They can choose disposable coverings which can be worn once and are priced at just £2.80 for a pack of four, or washable and reusable fabric face coverings at just £2.50 for a pack of two.

“The fabric range comes in multiple designs that are suitable for all ages. A children’s range will launch later next month with the aim to make wearing a face covering less daunting for the younger generation.”

The German study involved researchers examining the growth rate of cases in regions across Germany in the days following the introduction of masks in shops and on public transport.

For the experiment, the team of scientists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Southern Denmark closely studied the German city of Jena, which introduced mandatory facemasks on April 6.

The number of positive coronavirus cases recorded in the city fell by 25% over the next 20 days.

The report said: "Comparing the daily growth rate in the synthetic control group with the observed daily growth rate in Jena, the latter shrinks by around 60% due to the introduction of facemasks.

"This is a sizeable effect. Wearing facemasks apparently helped considerably in reducing the spread of Covid-19."The report came just days before new Government rules requiring people to wear face coverings on all public transport in England come into effect.

While the researchers behind the study hailed the results, they said more detailed analysis is still required before any definitive conclusion on the effectiveness of facemasks can be made.

"Our results provide some initial empirical evidence on this important matter (but) we simultaneously stress the need for more detailed analyses," the report stated.

"First, Germany is only one country. Different norms or climatic conditions might change the picture for other countries.

"Second, we have ignored spatial dependencies in the epidemic diffusion of Covid-19. This might play a role.

"Third, there are various types of facemasks. We cannot identify differential effects since mask regulations in German regions do not require a certain type.

"This calls for further systematic causal analyses of the different health measures implemented to fight the spread of Covid-19."