I'm sure at some point I'll be comfortable not doing it, but I'm not there yet.
At the physical therapist's office everyone is still masked. Everyone I've seen at grocery stores are still masked too. So that's my current preference.
Yeah I'm not quite there yet, either. The PA mask mandate is still in effect, isn't it?
Im in PA and just got back from Kohl's. The sign on the door now says that masks are optional inside the store if you are vaccinated, but they strongly recommend that you wear a mask if unvaccinated.
I only saw maybe 2 people without masks though.
I don't think that the pa mask order has technically been lifted, but there isn't really enforcement.
Post by picksthemusic on May 19, 2021 15:50:15 GMT -5
With vaccinated family, no, I won't wear one. Out in public at the grocery store/shopping, yes. Until my kids (both under 12) can be vaccinated, I will be masking in public, and making them mask up if they're in public.
Post by goldengirlz on May 19, 2021 15:52:54 GMT -5
I’m ready to ditch the mask. I’ll probably only wear one where it’s mandated, on public transit or if I’m with DD, who can’t be vaccinated yet.
The vaccines work! That’s pretty damn amazing. I understand the public health challenges of making policy around that fact, but I’ve been feeling more confident around things like returning to the gym or dining indoors (neither of which I’ve done yet but I’m very much looking forward to them!)
(... I also live in a metro area where most people mask even outdoors — and with one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. So that shapes my perception.)
Post by doggielover on May 19, 2021 15:53:48 GMT -5
I was at the grocery store earlier and saw almost half not wearing a mask including some workers. Even though I'm fully vaccinated I'm still not letting my guard down Outside I don't wear 1 but in a public place like a store absolutely.
I generally don't wear it outside, especially when running but indoors I'm not sure. Subway, of course (and it's still required anyway) but I just went to duane reade and the grocery store and had no desire to remove it. Everyone else was masked, too.
I really hate wearing my mask and can't wait to ditch it, but it feels different in practice. I did go without it once at a doctor's appointment about 2 months ago and it didn't feel weird at all, but it was just him and I in the office.
I'm going to my parents' house this weekend with my brothers and will not be wearing a mask - everyone fully vaxxed, no kids in the family. If any of the family we'd be with had kids, I'd probably make sure we're outside or mask up inside, probably depending on parental preference.
Yes, I still have another three weeks until I'm fully vaccinated. Most of my friends do too, which is shameful given the area I live in, things were just hard to get until late April.
We also plan on traveling a bit this summer, and after spending all of this money, we can't come up 'sick' since we are leaving the country.
I'm back to work in a few weeks after my shot kicks in, and I will probably be the only one in a mask, simply due to our travels. After those Yankees team members got sick last week, I'm not taking any changes before traveling.
Post by penguingrrl on May 19, 2021 17:21:11 GMT -5
I will definitely continue wearing one indoors at stores and the like for a while yet. The numbers in my state and county aren’t low enough for me to feel truly safe. But I’m in a position where a breakthrough case for my vaccine puts my H at very high risk (he’s immunocompromised and can’t be vaccinated).
Outdoors most of the time I’ve not been wearing one. The one exception is at work, which is a living history museum. In theory we really don’t need to ask guests to wear them, but we still are so I will wear it there to model for guests what the expectation is.
At work when we aren’t open to the public we take masks off at our desks since there are only a max of 4 people (one only works with us two days a week) and we’re all 2+ weeks past our second dose. We still pull them up to walk around the office or to be near each other. And when volunteers or board members come up since we don’t know their vaccine status and don’t want them thinking they can be without a mask in case they’re not vaccinated.
I still have to wear one for work, and I'll also continue to wear it indoors. DD has had her first shot but not her second. I also enjoy the fact that I haven't been sick in over a year.
I have been vaccinated since Jan. I will continue to wear it indoors always and everywhere. I do not for 1 second believe that people are going to be honest. It says those who are vaccinated can go maskless. You KNOW all those assholes will be lying.
Yes. I expect to continue as we have this spring on masks. If numbers stay low, we’ll do more things but those things will be masked and outdoors, generally. A mask is a pretty small burden so unless it’s something like a hike, with natural distancing plus exertion, I don’t see a reason to stop. My kids won’t be vaccinated and good modeling matters..
Post by sillygoosegirl on May 19, 2021 21:53:29 GMT -5
Probably I will keep wearing it, but really, it depends. If cases locally get really low AND the local mandate is also dropped, then I may be comfortable getting rid of it in most circomstances.
I don't really think cases will get low enough this year for me to feel comfortable taking my mask off in anything other than really small gatherings of vaccinated or mostly vaccinated people, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.
My hair salon just posted that in accordance with CDC and our health department, masks are no longer required for guests or employees and they suggest non-vaccinated people wear one.
The last appointment I had five weeks ago, my stylist was not vaccinated. I don’t know that she was planning on getting it either. I think I will be wearing a mask at my visit next week especially if she is not. It’s just SUCH close contact for an extended period of time. I have a feeling I’ll be the only one masked.
Post by foundmylazybum on May 20, 2021 7:42:42 GMT -5
Outside, and with other vaccinated people no, I don't see a need for the mask any more.
But I bring one everywhere and I wear it every time I go inside a store or restaurant or whatnot and don't really think about it.
Then I take it off. I think about now as a cushion time to give more people time to get vaccinated. I know not everyone is doing it but..I can only control what can control
I wear them in indoor public spaces, like the grocery, and almost everyone else does, too, even though they’re not mandated anymore. It seems like it’s still the done thing, even though 67% of adults are fully vaccinated in my county.
Almost nobody wears a mask outside, that abruptly stopped the day after the mandate was dropped.
Yes, if I’m in public or around people I’m not sure if they’re vaccinated. I have a compromised immune system and a severe autoimmune disease and it’s unclear if I’m getting the full efficacy from the vaccine.
I'm sure at some point I'll be comfortable not doing it, but I'm not there yet.
At the physical therapist's office everyone is still masked. Everyone I've seen at grocery stores are still masked too. So that's my current preference.
Yeah I'm not quite there yet, either. The PA mask mandate is still in effect, isn't it?
Originally it was until 70% of people were vaccinated, but when the CDC changed the recommendation they said vaccinated people don't need to mask UNLESS required by local provisions or private businesses/events. Which is almost the same as it was, anyway, when you think about it. The issue is obviously the Trumpers who will just not mask anyway and it's hard to stop them since they can lie about vaccine status now, but I never noticed too much of that in our area, thankfully. At least not the places I've been going, I guess.
Nope. I am vaccinated and will not wear a mask unless the specific business requires it. I think normalizing that is important to the public psyche.
I think it's important that we do just all do what we're comfortable with - without virtue signaling and without judgement. Masks are a tool and should not be turned into a political weapon for either side. I'm a democrat, but I'm not going to mask up so that people don't mistake me for a republican.
The risk factor for children is low. I have a 10 and 11 year old. My 11 year old will get vaccinated when she turns 12 in July. My son will be awhile. If I'm out with him and he's required to mask I will wear one in solidarity. But I do not worry about bringing home the virus to him any more than I worry about him catching it at lacrosse camp. I think when we look at the risk margins on covid with kids we need to factor in social emotional and speech risks too (which will become more and more prevalent the longer we mask all children in social settings). I work in mental health so that is definitely my lens, but one that I don't think gets nearly enough discussion.
I'll probably just continue to wear one indoors if I'm with my kids because they'll have to wear them.
Realistically though, it feels like it will take me a while to adjust back. I hope I can ease into it without feeling stigmatized or pressured if I want to keep wearing one for a bit! Our state hasn't lifted the mask mandate and I haven't noticed a decrease in mask wearing at all lately.
I'm curious how things are going to play out at work. My company has tried to get people to self report their vaccine status but I know a few co-workers that haven't gotten it yet because of hesitancy, and others that don't want to self-report because of privacy. Even if the vaccine will protect me, I'm not sure I'll feel comfortable being unmasked around people I KNOW are unvaccinated.
Outside - generally no, though on crowed streets or going in and out of stores sure as it is easier than taking it off and on.
Inside a private home- with other vaccinated adults maybe not. We see the family we have here who are all vaccinated and past the 2 week window. We do not wear masks in this small group. There is one other non-family member we see inside but for the most part my circle seems cautious in its practices.
Inside a non-private setting - yes wear a mask. That would include hair cuts, shopping, museum etc. Currently we haven't been dinning indoors so I suppose that might be the exception but it is low on list of priorities of things to do. Mask wearing here is very common even on in low density outdoor settings.
I don't know. I really want to be able to go visit my BFF when the timing is right as well as my 103 year old grandmother. On one hand, I'd like to continue to limit my chances of infection and passing it on to them. I know it's the slimmest of slim possibilities but anxiety doesn't give a fuck. My PT had a patient that had a breakthrough positive. She tested positive and 2 days later tested negative. She tested positive for the OG variant. Her samples were sent to National Jewish Hospital for research purposes and they believe that even though she had enough viral load to test positive that she didn't have enough to shed any virus and infect people. On the other hand, I don't like wearing them and know it'll be fucking awful at work.
Post by UMaineTeach on May 20, 2021 19:22:15 GMT -5
I’ stopped for walks around the block when the outside mandate was lifted, but and have just started being comfortable taking it off when I’m alone in my room. I’ve been fully vaccinated for a month.
I don’t see it coming off soon for indoor situations and waiting outside in a line for a bit longer.
Maine is lifting the mask mandate totally (except school and child care 5+) starting Monday. I think everything is going to be allowed full capacity soon. That feels like a rush to me. I try to tell myself that I have trusted our CDC director and Governor this far...
We are at 58% with 1 dose and 55% completed. More places are advertising walk ins, mass vaccine centers at closing, and walk up mobile units are going around.
Post by amandakisser on May 21, 2021 9:00:58 GMT -5
I think it's important to show our trust in the vaccine, especially for those who are skeptical. As all studies have shown, the risk of getting infected is extremely minimal, and if we are pushing people to vaccinate yet not going back to a maskless norm, then what's the point?
As the CDC says, the risk for going maskless is mostly for the unvaccinated. So, if they choose to not get vaccinated AND they don't wear a mask well...serves them right if they catch COVID.
Note: if it is required I will obviously still wear it, and I may still wear them with my kids so they don't feel bad. But as of next Tuesday, yes, I will be maskless both indoors and out.
@ I’m confused by those who say that they will still wear masks because their children are not vaccinated. Is this position simply to model behavior to your kids, or is there a scientific reason for this? If you are protected if vaccinated, why would there be a risk to your kids if you don’t wear a mask?
Sorry if someone already asked this and I missed it.
My kids love their masks so I’ll probably have to fight to get them to stop wearing them someday, but I know that not everyone is that position.
Post by flamingeaux on May 21, 2021 19:17:28 GMT -5
I'm going to keep wearing mine at work, I work retail, and I haven't been sick...except for that 1 time I caught COVID, but I haven't had any other illnesses or infections, so I'm gonna keep mine in people infested areas.
@ I’m confused by those who say that they will still wear masks because their children are not vaccinated. Is this position simply to model behavior to your kids, or is there a scientific reason for this? If you are protected if vaccinated, why would there be a risk to your kids if you don’t wear a mask?
Sorry if someone already asked this and I missed it.
My kids love their masks so I’ll probably have to fight to get them to stop wearing them someday, but I know that not everyone is that position.
For me it is to model the behavior. When I am out without them I don’t wear it as much (when required) but because it will be a while until they can be vaccinated (they are 9 and 4) I want to send a clear message to them.
Philly just dropped its outdoor mask mandate and almost no one is wearing it waking around the city now- it feels amazing. I’ll continue wearing one in stores and where it’s required, but I’m not doing it outside anymore at all.
I also want to start weaning my son off it. His anxiety has definitely gone up during this whole thing and he was wanting to keep his mask on while we were hiking solo in the mountains- even in situations where he’s safe he still doesn’t feel comfortable. It’s going to be a long road for him and I’m so ready for the vaccine to come out for the under 12 crew.