People refusing to wear masks "ignorant and stupid," shopkeeper tells James O'Brien

13 July 2020, 13:32 | Updated: 13 July 2020, 13:35

Caller brands people "stupid" and "ignorant" for not wearing masks

By Seán Hickey

This caller lost her father to coronavirus back in April, and couldn't believe how some people are still refusing to wear face coverings.

Amanda phoned in to James O'Brien to share her disbelief at people still not wearing face coverings in public, while Boris Johnson is expected to bring in rules on wearing masks in public this week.

The shop owner told James that in her own shop "you are not allowed in without a face mask on" she justified this by saying that she is "protecting the community, and so far everyone that has come to the shop has been very respectful."

"You're describing decent behaviour" James said, commending the shop owner for using her common sense in protecting herself and her family.

She attacked people that have been difficult in wearing face masks, telling listeners that she "could not care less if they come in the shop or not" because she doesn't want her return to work doing anything to harm her family.

She was baffled that such a simple guideline was so difficult to abide by for people. She pointed out that "if we all do it, we've lost nothing. We're just trying to do whatever we can to get rid of this virus."

"I don't understand how people are so ignorant." She said, clearly irritated by some of the public's ignorance around face coverings.

"In the last four months people are, I don't know whether they're stupid or its just their ignorance, they just don't get the virus.

"I think if it hasn't touched you, they think it's gone."

James came up with a theory of why it's so difficult to get people to stick to the rules. "We've had very powerful, very influential often very wealthy people telling the public not to trust experts or not to trust advice...just to trust their instincts."

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