Masks On, Masks Off
I’m just kidding with that title. Masks are on, always on, forever on, I love my masks.
But our area lifted the mask mandate last Thursday at midnight. By Friday, mid day, less than 12 hours after the mask mandate lifted, they were talking about putting back the mask mandate. By the weekend, they announced the mask mandate would be back in action as of tomorrow (Wednesday).
This is the thing: I get that there are people who do not enjoy wearing masks. I hear you. But masks stop the spread of more than just COVID-19. I’d like to be flu-free this winter. (Yes, I have my flu vaccine, but a vaccine is not a promise; it’s just protection.) And they enable parents of unvaccinated kids to move freely through public spaces with less stress.
So masks were off for a hot second over here. And now they’re back. And I hope they wait to make the call next time until we’ve had some stability with the numbers.
Patience.
7 comments
It’s interesting how much things vary state to state, and even city to city sometimes. We have not had a mask mandate in place where I live (Phoenix metro area) for months and months. You still occasionally see people masked in businesses but infrequently.
P.S. This is not because case numbers here are low here. IMO it’s purely political.
Ontario has never dropped its mask mandate since it was implemented (mid-2020). Our provincial government has dragged its heels and done a lot of dumb things during this pandemic, but this is one thing I think they’ve gotten right. We’ve been doing much better recently than, for example, Alberta, which basically lifted all its pandemic restrictions this summer and then had to reimplement some of them this fall because of sky-high rates of new cases and ICU admissions.
That said, our premier here recently announced a timetable to gradually lift all restrictions, including vaccine passports & masks, by the end of March (assuming all continues to go well). We’ll see what happens…!
Regardless of what’s mandated, I have no doubt I’ll be wearing masks in certain settings in the future (on airplanes & public transit, for example). I haven’t had a bad cold in quite a while and I like that!
I don’t even know anymore. I think we still have a state-wide mandate. Doesn’t matter, though, because I think I’m pretty much Team Masks Forever. And I’m not even immunocompromised.
We have no mandate except in schools and I hate it. It’s hard to go anywhere and feel safe, with my unvaccinated kids. Or myself because as you point out, a vaccine is not a promise. My area has a lot of anti mask sentiment and it is endlessly frustrating.
We’ve had a cluster of a debacle here where I live. Our local health officer declined to re-issue his mask mandate (foolishly lifted in June when our state opened up) despite all of the neighboring counties with similar numbers doing so, a couple of months ago. So our board of supervisors tried to pass an emergency ordinance which failed, then they finally passed a regular ordinance, but it didn’t take affect for 30 days, and it’s linked to the CDC level of transmission – – it’s only in effect when it’s substantial and high. So finally, the ordinance took effect and it goes into action this Friday and masks will finally again be required. Unfortunately the hospitality industry lobbied for an exception for meetings and conventions where everyone gets proof of vaccination. So that sucks, considering that there are plenty of breakthrough cases and vaccinated people can still transmit. At least my kids will hopefully be vaccinated next week.
I’ve had over a year of mask-free life, but now I can join in on mask discussions! Sigh. We’ve had a nationwide mandate since late August. I’m getting used to it now – have been to the movies, and go to the shops, and even try on clothes with them. I see the bad parts – hard to hear people, can’t read lips or expressions, ear-rings are dangerous (!), and they’re hot – and the good parts – I don’t have to wear makeup to the supermarket!, no colds, etc. They’ve kept our transmissions low and restricted when there have been case “escapees” out of Auckland, so I’m grateful, and learning to be patient. You’re a good role model!
Why on earth lift it for such a short time? Was it an experiment? Maddening.
We don’t have mask mandates here, except in schools, hospitals/medical buildings, mass transit, and stores brave enough to require it for entry. There’s so much political junk behind it and so most stores say MASKS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED WHETHER VACCINATED OR NOT, but people just flat out ignore it. I am masked all the time. We are STILL having to tell students to pull their masks up, and everyone including administration isn’t consistent about holding people accountable, so the few of us who are sticklers get labeled a pain in the ass. I wish they would just mandate them across the board. The covid fatigue is real, but I know more and more vaccinated people who have gotten it from unmasked social situations WITH VACCINATED PEOPLE, so masky mask maskerson it is. I’m glad you’re team mask! It makes me feel less kooky when others are also masked up and concerned and not talking like COVID “was” a thing.