Why are Britons so much more relaxed about Covid than Europeans? – The Guardian

Compared with some other countries, along with high numbers of Covid cases and deaths, the UK has relatively relaxed Covid restrictions, with no mandatory vaccine passports, no social distancing measures, and no mask mandate in England.

Four people from the UK and in Europe share their views on the countrys approach to Covid restrictions compared with others they are visiting or living in.

Liz, 60, who is in Turkey, said people there are excellent at wearing masks, which makes her feel safer than in the UK. I was on the Metro in Newcastle before I left and I was a nervous wreck because people werent wearing them, she said.

Liz, who is retired and lives in the north-east of England and is in Turkey to help look after an ill friend, said people wear masks nearly all the time indoors and around 50% do so outdoors.

A lot of the older generations here live with their families so I think people are more aware of not taking germs home to their parents and grandparents.

She feels a lot of the complacency in the UK comes from the example set by the government and that the message given to the public is not clear and consistent.

I get the impression that the government policy is deliberate and is about herd immunity. I also think its partly cultural. British people seem to think, It wont happen to me, we know best, like theyre invincible. Sadly, I think its been proven to not be the case.

When Jimmy, 40, a video producer from Leeds, spent four days watching the Paris Roubaix cycling race in France earlier this month, the difference in peoples attitudes to Covid from those in the UK was immediately apparent, he said.

When you go to a bar or restaurant, you have to show your vaccine pass and you wear a mask, said Jimmy. In the UK, everything is just a free-for-all. If restrictions here were a bit more strict, I think it would reduce the impact on us all.

Jimmy believes the UK should follow Frances example, with tighter restrictions in the short term. I fear that if we carry on as we are, Covid will continue to disrupt our daily lives. Im having to work extra hours this week as my colleagues are self-isolating.

The UK government likes to think theyre giving people a choice, and people are embracing this idea of free thinking. But I think theres nothing wrong with having some basic public health rules. Its not inhibiting peoples freedom of thought, its just sensible, isnt it?

Luca, who is in Zaragoza, Spain, looking after her 90-year-old mother, said she feels the government has failed people in the UK. Im clinically extremely vulnerable and feel totally restricted in what I do and where I go because people dont consider it important to protect themselves and others, said the semi-retired 60-year-old.

Normally living in London, Luca said shes in no hurry to return to the UK. I havent done it yet, but I was planning to see a film, and when I looked at booking online, I saw that once you book your seat, the ones next to you get booked up too, so theyre empty.

She feels there is no rejection of face masks in Spain and that theyre seen as protection, not an imposition. In contrast, she believes the image the UK government projects when they have meetings without face masks tells people they dont need to wear them. From the beginning of the pandemic, I feel the government has given people a false idea of freedom instead of showing precautions as something positive.

In Milan, Italy, Nigel I Ross, a university lecturer, said restrictions are still very much in place, with green passes needed to enter public buildings. From today, all employees will also need a pass to enter their workplaces.

Its far from perfect, but its going extremely well, said Ross, who is British and has lived in Italy for more than 30 years. There are around 2,000 new cases a day, which is in part due to us having some of the strictest restrictions in Europe.

He believes that its the message from the top that reflects the blase approach to Covid in the UK. My sister works in a school and with some family members extremely susceptible to infection, its like living in semi-terror in some ways. It feels like people are dying unnecessarily, and its no wonder Britain is seen as the sick man of Europe. I was there this summer for a couple of weeks and I really noticed the difference. Its a real contradiction because we have more restrictions, but I feel so much freer here.

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Why are Britons so much more relaxed about Covid than Europeans? - The Guardian