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Interesting

29th Sep 2020

Corrie hit with Ofcom complaints after face masks removed in hospital scene

Jade Hayden

Fair.

There are plenty of places one should actively wear a face mask in 2020, the year of our Lord and sav-… I mean, Covid.

Down the shops is one. While visiting a vulnerable relative in their home is another.

Inside a hospital is another, but that’s a no brainer, it’s so obvious, why would we even need to relay this information to people when it is so painstakingly clear that you need to cover your face while attending an actual hospital?

Because, well, apparently it’s not so obvious for other people. Namely Steve from Coronation Street who took it upon himself to have his mask sitting limply in his hand while chatting to Leeane in hospital.

The pair were attending the aforementioned scene during last night’s instalment of the ITV soap after learning of their son’s ill health.

Oliver, who Leeane had with ex Steve when they were together, may not survive much longer and his parents met in the hospital waiting room to discuss the situation.

They also took off their masks or pulled them down onto their necks to speak which, you know, wasn’t really ideal in a hospital scenario, given the global pandemic, and all that.

According to The Sun, Ofcom received 11 complaints from people who were at least mildly furious that beloved characters from their favourite soap were ignoring Covid health and safely guidelines and having mask-less chats in a hospital setting.

“Complainants objected to some characters not wearing face masks – or pulling the masks down to speak – during scenes set in the hospital,” they said, confirming that the complaints were, indeed, regarding characters not wearing face masks properly.

The importance of wearing face masks in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19 has been, of course, well documented in medical journals and by experts alike.

We can only presume that Steve and Leeane had a brief lapse in judgement while opting to whip theirs off last night. Shame.