Boss of Cornwall's main hospitals spots shoppers STILL not wearing face masks
Royal Cornwall Hospitals' Trust Chief Executive. Kate Shields, has called it disrespectful and callous
The woman in charge of Cornwall's main hospitals has branded people STILL shopping without face masks as 'callous'.
It comes after Kate Shields spotted two men at a store in Lostwithiel who were not wearing one.
The Chief Executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' Trust tells us that is no way to repay the hard working NHS staff.
She has issued a plea to everyone in the Duchy to wear masks to help us stop the spread of coronavirus.
Scroll down to check the exemptions to the rules surrounding face coverings.
"It's just so disrespectful and it's so, I don't know, callous. There are so many people affected by Covid in this county. To not wear a mask - wearing a mask stops you giving infection to other people, it prevent you getting it. So it's probably one of the most selfish things I could think people could do at this point.
"Covid hasn't gone away and it could come back really quickly so people need to wear masks, keep their distance from others and they need to wash their hands.
"Don't ignore all of the social gathering rules - they're there for a reason.
"We want to get back to normal as fast as possible - please do your bit to get us there".
Chief Executive of Royal Cornwall Hospitals' Trust, Kate Shields
As of Wednesday 17th February, 74 patients with coronavirus were being treated at Treliske, the West Cornwall and St Michael's in Hayle.
Latest figures from NHS England show eight deaths had been confirmed in hospitals across Cornwall in 24 hours, including seven at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
You can check the latest coronavirus figures for Cornwall and the south-west here.
When is it OK not to wear a mask?
In settings where face coverings are required in England there are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face covering.
Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances. Some people are less able to wear face coverings, and the reasons for this may not be visible to others.
This includes (but is not limited to):
Children under the age of 11 (Public Health England does not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)
People who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
Where putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
If you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate
To avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others ‒ including if it would negatively impact on your ability to exercise or participate in a strenuous activity
Police officers and other emergency workers, given that this may interfere with their ability to serve the public
You can check the current rules around wearing face coverings, including exemptions, here.