I live in Japan and everyone here wears a mask, but more importantly, wears them properly. Many Japanese people are already attuned to wearing them during flu season, and everyone wears them if they think they are getting a cold so it's no big deal for everyone to wear them the whole time, kids included. I'm not Japanese, but I get with the program and after a while, you don't notice it.
Masks are, of course, effective. Again, if you wear them properly and constantly, and everyone wears them.
The people who DON'T want to wear them and who wish to make it a political act will dredge up all sorts of B.S studies and data showing that "mandates" don't work and therefore extrapolate from that that masks themselves don't work, when any examination of the scene will show 60% of people wearing them 60% of the time, noses hanging out, lifting them up to talk, only putting them on when they've taken a few steps into the shop etc etc.
Masks work. If you wish to be honest about it, you'd say "They work, but we can't get our citizens to wear them."
Masks are, of course, effective. Again, if you wear them properly and constantly, and everyone wears them.
The people who DON'T want to wear them and who wish to make it a political act will dredge up all sorts of B.S studies and data showing that "mandates" don't work and therefore extrapolate from that that masks themselves don't work, when any examination of the scene will show 60% of people wearing them 60% of the time, noses hanging out, lifting them up to talk, only putting them on when they've taken a few steps into the shop etc etc.
Masks work. If you wish to be honest about it, you'd say "They work, but we can't get our citizens to wear them."