Mask mandates being lifted in some places

[Forevermarypoppins]

What you saw is prevalent in many parts of Wisconsin.

Milwaukee and Madison are the only areas really still masking up consistently.

and KENOSHA

 

[georgina]

Covid is really dropping here in SW PA also, talk of easing some restrictions like looser limits on indoor dining but not dropping mask wearing. I am curious to see if we will get a spike from the newer variants coming

 

[cats mom]

If anything seems like more mask-wearing not less in my area.
Masks are mandated indoors so I seldom see anyone without one in a store.
Most people don't wear them outdoors, although I have seen more on the hiking trails near my house than I used to.
My husband was out walking the dog last weekend. He was alone, the neighborhood is all one-acre lots, and houses all have large setbacks from the street. Even if someone unexpectedly stepped outside, it's not like they would need to be anywhere near him. Some jerk driving past stopped his car, rolled his window down, and yelled to put on a mask. Not sure who he thought the mask would be protecting in that situation?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

As stated in another post, Pfizer tests shows once you received both shoots you are not a carrier. So, those who have received the vaccine do not really need to wear masks.

EXCEPT, while the primary reason for wearing the mask was to protect others from the wearers germs, there is still some protection for the wearer from other people's germs when you wear a mask.

You can still get COVID, even after getting the vaccine. It's just more likely to be a milder case. But, why even tempt getting it in the first place?

 

[spiders]

I wear my mask but I don't really care if other people wear a mask. I'm not going to get close to you one way or another. I didn't want to get close to strangers before COVID and I certainly don't want to now. Until I'm put in a position where I have to be next to you then do whatever you want.

 

[mjkacmom]

Everyone wears masks here, my friend forgot and walked into the grocery store without one and was mortified and ran out. During soccer season every single spectator had a mask on.

 

[CO2CA]

I'm curious on why mask mandates would be lifted if the majority of people still haven't been vaccinated. Just because someone says they've been vaccinated and says they are no longer potentially contagious doesn't mean it's true. I can see some lifting of mandates later this year, but now?

 

[Christine]

I'm curious on why mask mandates would be lifted if the majority of people still haven't been vaccinated. Just because someone says they've been vaccinated and says they are no longer potentially contagious doesn't mean it's true. I can see some lifting of mandates later this year, but now?

I think it's really stupid to stop masking as things are getting better. What? Do you want to deliberately cause an increase? Seems more prudent to just wait until July when most people have access to the vaccine.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

I'm curious on why mask mandates would be lifted if the majority of people still haven't been vaccinated. Just because someone says they've been vaccinated and says they are no longer potentially contagious doesn't mean it's true. I can see some lifting of mandates later this year, but now?

So then the people who haven’t been vaccinated should be concerned and double triple quadruple their masks but don’t require those vaccinated to still wear it. It’s like what’s the point of being vaccinated if I can never take this thing off.

I think people will stop caring around the end of the year as they seem to already have.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I will be wearing a mask whenever I leave my house for a very long time and may never stop. I have become so used to it that it will not bother me to continue to wear one.

 

[Christine]

So then the people who haven’t been vaccinated should be concerned and double triple quadruple their masks but don’t require those vaccinated to still wear it. It’s like what’s the point of being vaccinated if I can never take this thing off.

I think people will stop caring around the end of the year as they seem to already have.

Well, until they prove that you can't transmit after vaccination coupled with not many people being vaccinated it would be the prudent thing to do until, say, July when most people are vaccinated.

The point of being vaccinated is so that if you get COVID you won't get serious illness or end up in a hospital. If you're lucky, you won't get any illness at all. They just don't know yet. Considering maybe you still can transmit if you have a mostly low-symptom case, it would be nice if you could wear the mask out in public for those of us that won't get the vaccine until the summer. After that, I think it's a whole new ballgame.

 

[yaya74]

How is it possible to lift the mask wearing mandate when only 11.5% of population received vaccination?? I am in NJ, working at an elementary school. I am now wearing double masks at work. My school district is still in hybrid mode and parents are pushing for 5 days in person school schedule. In order to do that, everyone needs to wear masks and follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

 

[robinb]

What you saw is prevalent in many parts of Wisconsin.

Milwaukee and Madison are the only areas really still masking up consistently.

It's a good thing I live in Madison!

 

[DLgal]

If anything seems like more mask-wearing not less in my area.
Masks are mandated indoors so I seldom see anyone without one in a store.
Most people don't wear them outdoors, although I have seen more on the hiking trails near my house than I used to.
My husband was out walking the dog last weekend. He was alone, the neighborhood is all one-acre lots, and houses all have large setbacks from the street. Even if someone unexpectedly stepped outside, it's not like they would need to be anywhere near him. Some jerk driving past stopped his car, rolled his window down, and yelled to put on a mask. Not sure who he thought the mask would be protecting in that situation?

My husband runs every day. Recently he was out for his run and a man was standing on the sidewalk with his dog, and as my husband approached, he swiftly scooped up the dog and RAN back to his doorstep and yelled at my husband "if you are going to run on the sidewalk, wear a mask!" This guy was wearing a mask to take his dog to pee.

The funny thing is, my husband was going to get off the sidewalk and run in the street once he got closer to this man, just out of courtesy (everyone in our neighborhood does this...whoever was on the sidewalk first gets to stay, the other person moves into the street to pass, runners generally yield to walkers and run in the street to pass). This guy didn't even give my husband a chance. It was so ridiculous.

 

[DLgal]

I will be wearing a mask whenever I leave my house for a very long time and may never stop. I have become so used to it that it will not bother me to continue to wear one.

I mean, I've really enjoyed not being sick at all for over a year. I might keep wearing a mask too.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’m in Missouri and we never had a mandate here. Some places are required, like the grocery store, Target, etc and there masks are mostly worn. A few still don’t and I’ve never seen anyone say anything to those who don’t. A lot of places have no requirement and I’d say it’s maybe 50/50 in those places. They have attempted to make people wear one walking into the gym but not while exercising, but pretty much no one wears one at all including the workers. A lot of people around here (me included) only wear them when absolutely required, and I see hardly anyone ever wear them outside.

I take it you don't live in KC or STL because those places def require masks and they comprise of most of the population of the state. When I visited the Lake of the Ozarks..no they did not.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

How is it possible to lift the mask wearing mandate when only 11.5% of population received vaccination?? I am in NJ, working at an elementary school. I am now wearing double masks at work. My school district is still in hybrid mode and parents are pushing for 5 days in person school reschedule. In order to do that, everyone needs to wear masks and follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

Places also consider the population (and estimated population when considering lack of testing and those who didn't exhibit symptoms) who have had covid.

There's a point where it's too early meaning it puts the population at a greater risk vs a minimal risk which is the point people are wondering about right now (as in if people are jumping the gun) but it's not just vaccination rates.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I cannot wait until vaccinations are widespread enough that we can ditch masks. I absolutely loathe wearing a mask.

I know we’re all supposed to say it’s easy and no big deal and it’s a small sacrifice and unless you’re lungs are failing you shouldn’t have breathing issues and blah blah blah but I hate it. I find it miserable. I end up breathing through my mouth unless I’m actively just thinking about breathing, my face gets all damp, I feel claustrophobic and like I’m suffocating ugh. Masks are not here to stay for me, that’s for sure!

 

[DisneyOma]

We never had one here in SC, but in the CIty of Charleston (Dem Mayor) has had one even walking out side (face palm)

Is that why South Carolina is now one of the hotspots on the map for COVID?

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

So then the people who haven’t been vaccinated should be concerned and double triple quadruple their masks but don’t require those vaccinated to still wear it. It’s like what’s the point of being vaccinated if I can never take this thing off.

I think people will stop caring around the end of the year as they seem to already have.

You can still get COVID after being vaccinated, especially right after the first shot. While they say the virus load is still low, it's not a 0% chance of transmission either. The point of being vaccinated is to get herd immunity. It's not all about one person, KWIM?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Around here mask mandates aren't easing it's other things like time a restaurant closes (or can serve food inside) or number of people in a gathering or occupancy limit. Most of the area re-activated these measures in the fall and have extended recently the dates but are loosening other things. My county didn't loosen the restrictions but they were the lax ones in comparison to the other counties so those counties are just lowering down to mostly what ours is (give or take). My county did extend their restrictions they re-activated until March 31st.

In my state the current state of emergency which carries in part the mask mandate is set to expire March 31st. Important to note is that counties in my state can opt out of the mask mandate should they choose to. This also means they can opt into one outside of the state's one should that expire. There is talk earlier this month that a push from lawmakers may prevent that state of emergency from being extended again but there's more to that state of emergency than just a mask mandate so it's not all what people would actually want to happen. But that's a political issue within my state on battles for control that have largely calmed down; one can assume will come back around as mid-March rolls around.