# California to end mask mandate on Feb 15



## Eric

For vaccinated people. I welcome the change, let's hope this is the right call in returning to some sense of normalcy.









						California to let indoor mask mandate expire for vaccinated people
					

The unvaccinated will still have to wear masks inside after the mandate ends Feb. 15, the governor said.




					www.nbcnews.com


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## Cmaier

I’ll keep wearing mine for the time being.  I’m not much to look at, anyway


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## Eric

Cmaier said:


> I’ll keep wearing mine for the time being.  I’m not much to look at, anyway



Same here, I'm guessing a lot in the bay area will as well, they've always been pretty careful.


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## Cmaier

Eric said:


> Same here, I'm guessing a lot in the bay area will as well, they've always been pretty careful.




Yep. Norm in the Bay Area seems to have evolved to N95 or surgical masks, no more 6 foot rule (because that was silly anyway), but masks off in restaurants or outside unless in crowded places.  Of course, vaccination percentage is likely really high here.  Most of us don’t go into the office (I do).  Traffic is still very light on 280, 85, and 101.  Rush hour commute used to be an hour or more, and now is never worse than 35 minutes.   One weird Bay Area-ism is we seem to pretend you can’t get infected when eating, though.


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## Eric

Cmaier said:


> Yep. Norm in the Bay Area seems to have evolved to N95 or surgical masks, no more 6 foot rule (because that was silly anyway), but masks off in restaurants or outside unless in crowded places.  Of course, vaccination percentage is likely really high here.  Most of us don’t go into the office (I do).  Traffic is still very light on 280, 85, and 101.  Rush hour commute used to be an hour or more, and now is never worse than 35 minutes.   One weird Bay Area-ism is we seem to pretend you can’t get infected when eating, though.



Not sure what side of 280 you take but just sat on it getting on the 101 north for 30 minutes the other day, just like old times.


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## Cmaier

Eric said:


> Not sure what side of 280 you take but just sat on it getting on the 101 north for 30 minutes the other day, just like old times.




I pick it up at the 85-280 interchange and take it up to Page Mill.  Moves pretty fast.  Up by SF it may be a different story,


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## Herdfan

Eric said:


> For vaccinated people. I welcome the change, let's hope this is the right call in returning to some sense of normalcy.
> 
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> California to let indoor mask mandate expire for vaccinated people
> 
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> The unvaccinated will still have to wear masks inside after the mandate ends Feb. 15, the governor said.
> 
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> www.nbcnews.com




I know this was an issue when our governor did the same.  How will anyone know who is vaxxed or not?


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## DT

Eric said:


> Not sure what side of 280 you take but just sat on it getting on the 101 north for 30 minutes the other day, just like old times.






Cmaier said:


> I pick it up at the 85-280 interchange and take it up to Page Mill.  Moves pretty fast.  Up by SF it may be a different story,


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## User.168

.


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## Eric

Herdfan said:


> I know this was an issue when our governor did the same.  How will anyone know who is vaxxed or not?



I personally just assume every single person I come across is not vaccinated and don't go anywhere near them, whether that's the case or not, it's the safest thing all of us can do IMO. However, a lot of places (regardless of government intervention) will still require proof.


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## Herdfan

Eric said:


> However, a lot of places (regardless of government intervention) will still require proof.




I am thinking the store or the mall.  Our Governor set a date to end our mask mandate on June 20, 2021 (State's birthday), but when the CDC came out and said vaxxed people don't need a mask, he allowed it.  Well at that point, it became 6/20 a month sooner for all practical purposes.

So how will someplace like a mall enforce masks when they have no idea who is vaxxed?


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## Eric

Herdfan said:


> I am thinking the store or the mall.  Our Governor set a date to end our mask mandate on June 20, 2021 (State's birthday), but when the CDC came out and said vaxxed people don't need a mask, he allowed it.  Well at that point, it became 6/20 a month sooner for all practical purposes.
> 
> So how will someplace like a mall enforce masks when they have no idea who is vaxxed?



Those not wearing masks during a mandate put all their cards on the table and were easy to identify, also likely not vaccinated because they're the selfish (I only care about me, fk everyone else) type. Without the mandate it'll be harder to tell, my hope is that the spread dies down enough to where it won't matter as much. I'll still be masked in any public location regardless though.


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## User.168

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## Chew Toy McCoy

I checked a vaccination rate map the other day and where I live, Santa Clara County, is at 84%, I think the highest in the state and among the highest in the country.

Still, I’m not looking forward to these initial gray zone periods, although I know they are necessary. This past weekend I went to a nursery in Morgan Hill which is starting to go down into conservative territory. I was apprehensive about the mask situation because of the location and the majority of the business is outdoors. Luckily when I arrived there was a person walking in with a mask on, and when I went inside everybody else was wearing a mask too. I admit I might be a little overly paranoid about possible masked vs unmasked confrontations. In public I prefer to pretend I’m invisible until I choose to make myself visible.

Bay Area traffic.  I'm grateful the peninsula isn't part of my work commute, and it's rare I go up the peninsula for any reason.  My work commute is 880.  The only real headache is the 880/101 interchange can become like a parking lot but I'm used to it.


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## Huntn

Eric said:


> For vaccinated people. I welcome the change, let's hope this is the right call in returning to some sense of normalcy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> California to let indoor mask mandate expire for vaccinated people
> 
> 
> The unvaccinated will still have to wear masks inside after the mandate ends Feb. 15, the governor said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.nbcnews.com



We are wearing masks now to help out the _My Libertay _dummies. I’ve been ready to ditch mine which honestly I don’t wear 100% when out of the house, usually when I head into a store.


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## MEJHarrison

Here in Oregon, we're dropping our mandate by the end of March at the latest and schools won't require masks starting at the end of March.

I'll be wearing mine.  I love my mask.  Or rather, I love hiding behind a mask.


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## Renzatic

Huntn said:


> We are wearing masks now to help out the _My Libertay _dummies. I’ve been ready to ditch mine which honestly I don’t wear 100% when out of the house, usually when I head into a store.




This is about what I've done since all this began. I only wear my mask in places where I'll be within close proximity to a number of people.


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## DT

theSeb said:


> Also I prefer the general populace to stay away at least 6 feet from me at all times anyway.




Preach.


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## Joe

Welcome to freedom, Commiefornia


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## Citysnaps

Mid Peninsula/San Mateo County most people are wearing masks. Inside and out. Have a feeling that's not going to change much beyond the 15th, at least until the numbers go down further.


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## Deleted member 215

I don't expect my county (San Mateo) to relax their own guidelines when the state does. We will probably be required to wear them for longer.

That said, I agree with Marin County's decision to base their mandate on hospitalizations due to COVID (not people admitted to a hospital for another reason who happen to test positive) rather than case numbers.


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## Eric

Joe said:


> Welcome to freedom, Commiefornia



I'll take the freedom...


__
		https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/rzyvz0


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## SuperMatt

I went to an NHL game; almost nobody wore a mask. I went to a performance of Bach‘s Mass in B minor; everybody was masked.


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## DT

Eric said:


> I'll take the freedom...
> 
> 
> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/rzyvz0





There's like 5 dispensaries within ~8 miles of us.

Just sayin'

You know, my, umm, nerve pain and whatnot.


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## Eric

SuperMatt said:


> I went to an NHL game; almost nobody wore a mask. I went to a performance of Bach‘s Mass in B minor; everybody was masked.



Wow man, that is telling.


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## Citysnaps

Eric said:


> I'll take the freedom...




Same here. Would not live anywhere else.


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## SuperMatt

Eric said:


> Wow man, that is telling.



Proof that we need more music education in schools!


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## Joe

Eric said:


> I'll take the freedom...
> 
> 
> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/rzyvz0




I shared that on my twitter as well


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## Hrafn

Eric said:


> I personally just assume every single person I come across is not vaccinated and don't go anywhere near them, whether that's the case or not, it's the safest thing all of us can do IMO. However, a lot of places (regardless of government intervention) will still require proof.



I look for: The confederate flag, MAGA hat, American flag anywhere not actually in the code, neckbeard, oversize truck, etc, etc.


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## User.45

SuperMatt said:


> Proof that we need more music education in schools!



Don't start it with Bach though


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## Herdfan

So here's a question.

In the past week, 5 Blue states (CA, CO, DE, NJ, NY)  have ended or will soon end their mask mandates.  This is contrary to the what the CDC is currently advising.  I know it is usually when the Red states do something like this heads start exploding about them not following the science.  Well the CDC is the science, so why aren't they following it?  I know California has scientists because almost everything I buy is known to the State of California to cause cancer.  So maybe their scientists are smarter than those at the CDC.

So are these states following their own science or are the following Political Science that says there is an election in 9 months and people aren't happy?









						CDC pleads for caution, but governors may be done listening
					

Caught seemingly off guard by the rapidity with which Democratic elected officials in states on both coasts have rolled back pandemic restrictions in recent days, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urged continued caution on Wednesday, even as she acknowledged that approach is falling out of favor.




					news.yahoo.com


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## Cmaier

Herdfan said:


> So here's a question.
> 
> In the past week, 5 Blue states (CA, CO, DE, NJ, NY)  have ended or will soon end their mask mandates.  This is contrary to the what the CDC is currently advising.  I know it is usually when the Red states do something like this heads start exploding about them not following the science.  Well the CDC is the science, so why aren't they following it?  I know California has scientists because almost everything I buy is known to the State of California to cause cancer.  So maybe their scientists are smarter than those at the CDC.
> 
> So are these states following their own science or are the following Political Science that says there is an election in 9 months and people aren't happy?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CDC pleads for caution, but governors may be done listening
> 
> 
> Caught seemingly off guard by the rapidity with which Democratic elected officials in states on both coasts have rolled back pandemic restrictions in recent days, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urged continued caution on Wednesday, even as she acknowledged that approach is falling out of favor.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.yahoo.com




Heads are exploding and people in these states (or at least the two I and my family live in) are questioning why this is occurring.

That’s the difference - unlike your people we actually question when the folks on “our side” do something that makes no sense.


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## MEJHarrison

Herdfan said:


> In the past week, 5 Blue states (CA, CO, DE, NJ, NY)  have ended or will soon end their mask mandates.




You left out Oregon.  By the end of March.



Herdfan said:


> This is contrary to the what the CDC is currently advising.  I know it is usually when the Red states do something like this heads start exploding about them not following the science.  Well the CDC is the science, so why aren't they following it?  I know California has scientists because almost everything I buy is known to the State of California to cause cancer.  So maybe their scientists are smarter than those at the CDC.
> 
> So are these states following their own science or are the following Political Science that says there is an election in 9 months and people aren't happy?




I have no doubt elections are playing a part in it.  But it's not set in stone.  If the trend reverses, I have no doubt the masks will continue.  I'm not giving my mask up until I feel like it's safe for me to do so.  The "D" next to my governors name still stands for Democrat, not Doctor.


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## SuperMatt

Look at vaccination rates for the states ending their mandates. The states that need mask mandates still don’t have them. The states that have mandates no longer need them. It’s that simple.


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## User.45

SuperMatt said:


> Look at vaccination rates for the states ending their mandates. The states that need mask mandates still don’t have them. The states that have mandates no longer need them. It’s that simple.



This. I generally agree with the CDC here, we are ahead of a slower than expected drop in hospitalizations, the wise thing is to wait it out to confirm trends. But let's be brutally honest, those who didn't want to wear a mask just wore gaiters or stuck their noses out, and those who care have already gotten boosters and will continue wearing a mask. So at this point, outside of schools and public transportation, this is a symbolic gesture.


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## Joe

I don't see it as a liberal or conservative thing when it comes to masks. I see a lot of left leaning people not wearing masks in public spaces or on social media including California and other blue states. The difference though is that I assume most of these people are vaccinated where as a lot of conservatives are anti vax. Liberals are also less likely to cause a scene over wearing a mask in public when asked to.  I hate wearing a mask, but Im not causing a scene over it. I'll wear it when I need to. 

At this point, you're not going to convince anti vax people to vax or wear a mask so fuck it. Thoughts and prayers.


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## Eric

Cmaier said:


> Heads are exploding and people in these states (or at least the two I and my family live in) are questioning why this is occurring.
> 
> *That’s the difference - unlike your people we actually question when the folks on “our side” do something that makes no sense.*



Questioning those in your own party is a concept completely lost on them. As soon as one of us points out something we disagree with you see stuff like "see, even Liberals hate Newsom..." when the reality is we simply question a choice he's made.

Free thinking should be something we all encourage, hive mind mentality is what led to Jan 6th.


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## DT

I think it's a touch too soon, we've seen this pattern of "jumping the gun", when there's a downward trend, the threshold for cases is crossed, but just barely, and instead of hanging tough to confirm for like 30-45 days, we do something that reverses the trend (like removing mask/vaxx verification).


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## Deleted member 215

My head's not exploding. I'm glad this is happening. Vaccination rates are high, hospitalizations are low; that seems like fair enough criteria to relax restrictions. I'm sure there will be another variant soon and we'll be shutting everything down and bringing back the mandates, but I'll enjoy this reprieve while it lasts. I got a good amount of traveling done during the Great Reprieve of Summer 2021.

Such is life in the 2020s.


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## Cmaier

Good news: Santa Clara county is following the science and not dropping the mask mandate.


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## DT

Cmaier said:


> Good news: Santa Clara county is following the science and not dropping the mask mandate.




Bad news:  All the damn vampires ...




* Santa Carla, close enough : )


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## lizkat

Herdfan said:


> So here's a question.
> 
> In the past week, 5 Blue states (CA, CO, DE, NJ, NY)  have ended or will soon end their mask mandates.  This is contrary to the what the CDC is currently advising.  I know it is usually when the Red states do something like this heads start exploding about them not following the science.  Well the CDC is the science, so why aren't they following it?  I know California has scientists because almost everything I buy is known to the State of California to cause cancer.  So maybe their scientists are smarter than those at the CDC.
> 
> So are these states following their own science or are the following Political Science that says there is an election in 9 months and people aren't happy?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CDC pleads for caution, but governors may be done listening
> 
> 
> Caught seemingly off guard by the rapidity with which Democratic elected officials in states on both coasts have rolled back pandemic restrictions in recent days, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urged continued caution on Wednesday, even as she acknowledged that approach is falling out of favor.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.yahoo.com




In a lot of blue states the pols have noticed that the larger stores and corporations and some large municipalities have their own masking protocols (or mandates in the case of employees) and so it allows them the political leeway to ease up on the state level mandates that have been applied to businesses or to groups of individuals.

We're all flying by the seat of our pants to some extent with the mutating coronavirus, whether we are scientifically minded or otherwise.  "Following the science" is not incompatible with human adaptation to changing circumstances.  

Adaptation is also what drives the changing face of the prevalent strains of the virus itself at any given time, so the whole mad circus of a viral pandemic is really about testing pressure points.  For the virus encountering a vaccine,  it's about landing with an unvaccinated host,  or else chancing on a mutation that happens to be an effective workaround,  hence the truth at that level of the old saw "Evolve or Die." 

On the human side, it's more complex (since we're more complex):  our pressure points are both physical and mental, and so they are also emotional and potentially political.  Human flexibility is unquestionably an asset, but it does have its limits in any person.  Human grievance is potentially a serious political problem.   An efficient state model tries to navigate between those attributes, to the end it doesn't ask too much of our flexibility on any issue. 

Medical science may point out best practices regarding tamping down the coronavirus pandemic, but those practices may not always fit well with how things roll with ordinary people juggling work, school, parenting etc.  We're at a point right now where the current prevalent strains of the virus have mild impact on vaccinated individuals.  And it's not like massive effort hasn't gone into encouraging people to get vaccinated.  On the other hand, what good is a CDC that shrugs and offers public advice against best practices?   So CDC says what it knows and has to take a certain amount of flak for both changing its advice over time (as medicine and the virus change), and for being out of step with political will of the people at least some of the time.

I'm not apologizing for the idiocies of the millions of vax resisters who can't back up their "reasons" for not getting jabbed-- because their decisions are largely just the result of truly mindless political propagada.   But I do get why the blue states now are rolling back mandates.  It's about voter impatience with the restrictions and yeah it's about upcoming elections too.


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## Herdfan

DT said:


> Bad news:  All the damn vampires ...




That will be lost on anyone under 45. LOL


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## DT

From the NYT - hopefully this isn't too choppy, I did a C&P from a long article with graphics, etc.


Here’s Where You Still Need to Wear Masks in the New York Region

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all announced plans to loosen certain restrictions, but all of them continue to require masks in some places.

An announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul that New York State’s mask or proof of vaccination mandate for indoor public spaces would be allowed to lapse will have no effect on New York City’s rule requiring vaccination to eat indoors at restaurants.

*Feb. 9, 2022
Updated 3:53 p.m. ET*

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are among a number of states nationally that are loosening or ending mask mandates as coronavirus cases fall precipitously from their recent peaks. On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced that a statewide mask or proof of vaccination mandate for all indoor public locations would be allowed to expire on Thursday. But it is not time to put away those masks completely.

Each of the three states, as well as New York City and other cities and towns in the region, continue to require masks in some places. And federal rules still require masks on all forms of public transportation and in transportation hubs, including in subway stations, bus terminals and airports, at least until March 18.

Where is a mask still required in New York City?

New York City, once the epicenter of the pandemic, has had more stringent masking rules in place than many other parts of the country. Governor Hochul’s announcement lifts some, but not most, of those restrictions, taking New York back to the masking rules that were in effect before the Omicron surge began in December.

Masks will still be required in New York City while riding public transportation, including when taking car services and taxis. They will still be required when inside a school, in a child care or a health care setting, and at group residential facilities such as nursing homes and homeless shelters.

In addition, owners of stores, restaurants, theaters or other public spaces are still permitted to require masks. In Broadway theaters, for example, both masks and proof of vaccination will continue to be required at least until April 30.

Restaurants, gyms, museums and other indoor cultural and entertainment venues are required to ask for proof of vaccination under a policy known as “Key to NYC.” That policy remains in effect. In these venues, masks can come off if the owners or venues permit it. But in practice, many cultural venues do require masks in addition to vaccination proof.

So what is new? You can now take off your mask again in stores, pharmacies, offices, hotel lobbies and supermarkets, if the owners of those businesses permit it. The same goes for offices: If your office allows you to go mask-free for part or all the time, you may.

But there is a big caveat: If you are unvaccinated, you must still wear a mask whenever you are in a public space, according to city regulations. About 86 percent of adult New York City residents, and 76 percent of residents of all ages, are fully vaccinated.

Where are masks required elsewhere in New York State?
Like New York City, New York State has had multiple mask mandates in place through much of the pandemic. Many of those rules remain in place.

Masks are still required in health care and adult care facilities, nursing homes, in homeless shelters and in correctional facilities when social distancing is not possible. Masks are also still required in all schools serving students from pre-K to 12th grade.

While she said she was not yet ready to lift the school mask mandate, which is based on a regulation that is set to expire on Feb. 21, Governor Hochul said Wednesday that schools would distribute at-home test kits before the upcoming midwinter break to help gauge infection levels.

She said she would make a decision about the mask rules upon students’ return to school, by the first week of March, and that she would base it on data.
“This fight is not over,” she said, “but the trends are very, very positive.”

Following federal rules, masks are also required on public transportation and in train stations, airports and other transport hubs. And localities and businesses are also free to impose their own mask requirements.

But in locations where they do not, masks can come off. That includes movie theaters, bowling alleys, stores, restaurants and offices, if the owners and localities allow it.
There is also no longer a state requirement to show proof of vaccination before masks can be removed. Localities may continue to set vaccination requirements, however, and businesses throughout the state may continue to ask for proof of vaccination.


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## SuperMatt

I wonder about this doctor’s prediction:

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1491609678916239363/

There will be some people I know that will continue to mask until their young kids can get the vaccine. Most others that are vaccinated will probably keep a mask around, to be used in crowded areas... or maybe just in case a local business requires it.


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## Cmaier

SuperMatt said:


> I wonder about this doctor’s prediction:
> 
> https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1491609678916239363/
> 
> There will be some people I know that will continue to mask until their young kids can get the vaccine. Most others that are vaccinated will probably keep a mask around, to be used in crowded areas... or maybe just in case a local business requires it.




That will definitely be the case in Silicon Valley.  Nobody wants to get sick or to bring home the disease and get their family sick.  So most of those who have been doing what they are supposed to will continue to wear masks indoors until the infection rate goes down a bunch more. I suspect we’ll see less masking outdoors, though, and more eating out at restaurants (where people who rigidly follow the rules still somehow think you are immune from covid).

A colleague of mine from NY, triple vaxxed, who had already been infected in March 2020, just had his whole household catch covid from their four year old son who got it at school.  My colleague has been sick in bed for 4 days.  He felt well enough on the 2nd day to attend a zoom meeting, but since then he’s been missing.  He said it was far worse than the flu, and the whole family has been in bad shape.  Who’s looking for that when simply wearing an N95 when around other people can mitigate your chances of getting it?


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## MEJHarrison

Cmaier said:


> That will definitely be the case in Silicon Valley.  Nobody wants to get sick or to bring home the disease and get their family sick.  So most of those who have been doing what they are supposed to will continue to wear masks indoors until the infection rate goes down a bunch more. I suspect we’ll see less masking outdoors, though, and more eating out at restaurants (where people who rigidly follow the rules still somehow think you are immune from covid).
> 
> A colleague of mine from NY, triple vaxxed, who had already been infected in March 2020, just had his whole household catch covid from their four year old son who got it at school.  My colleague has been sick in bed for 4 days.  He felt well enough on the 2nd day to attend a zoom meeting, but since then he’s been missing.  He said it was far worse than the flu, and the whole family has been in bad shape.  Who’s looking for that when simply wearing an N95 when around other people can mitigate your chances of getting it?




Exactly.  They're going to lift restrictions when the risk gets low, not when the risk is gone.  People will still get this after restrictions are lifted and will still die.  I plan to do everything I can not to be in that group that jumps too soon.


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## Eric

MEJHarrison said:


> Exactly.  They're going to lift restrictions when the risk gets low, not when the risk is gone.  People will still get this after restrictions are lifted and will still die.  I plan to do everything I can not to be in that group that jumps too soon.



And they say the virus will never go away so the risk will always be there. I just plan on wearing a mask in public in the foreseeable future and getting the latest vaccines when it's available, accepting the fact that we'll always have to live with it to some extent. Hopefully we won't see anymore heinous variants and can come to some sort of equilibrium.


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## MEJHarrison

Eric said:


> And they say the virus will never go away so the risk will always be there.




That's very true.  But when they lift restrictions, I suspect it will still be much riskier than getting the flu for example.  I could be wrong, but I think we're a long ways off, restrictions or not, from it being "safe" out there generally speaking.  So I'll just keep being careful till I feel silly walking around in a mask all the time.


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## Eric

MEJHarrison said:


> That's very true.  But when they lift restrictions, I suspect it will still be much riskier than getting the flu for example.  I could be wrong, but I think we're a long ways off, restrictions or not, from it being "safe" out there generally speaking.  So I'll just keep being careful till I feel silly walking around in a mask all the time.



Agreed, I'll be wearing my N95 any time I'm out regardless of what they say. At least with a cold or a flu its seasonal so you know to prepare but who knows with this thing.


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## SuperMatt

Don’t forget, even if you mask up, other diseases spread from our hands, so wash your hands!


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## Joe

SuperMatt said:


> There will be some people I know that will continue to mask until their young kids can get the vaccine. *Most others that are vaccinated will probably keep a mask around, to be used in crowded areas... or maybe just in case a local business requires it.*




That's exactly what happened.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

MEJHarrison said:


> I have no doubt elections are playing a part in it.




This.  They are probably gambling that they won't lose any left leaning voters by ending the mandate now while reducing the blowback from anti-mask patriots come voting time.  Feb - Nov is an eternity in attention span to outrage.  

Democrats don't have much else to hang their hats on currently to convince voters they should remain in office or be given more say.  Might as well work on pissing off the other side less.  Other than that, Trump being Trump is Democrats' best friend for getting them votes.


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## Herdfan

The WaPo seems to think it is Political Science over real science as well:





__





						Abrupt end to mask mandates reflects a shifting political landscape
					





					www.msn.com
				












						Masks off? Democrats try for a pandemic pivot
					

The party's governors are ditching them. Its swing-state lawmakers are ready to follow. But not everyone agrees, and it may be too little, too late.




					www.politico.com


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## Herdfan

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> This.  They are probably gambling that they won't lose any left leaning voters by ending the mandate now while reducing the blowback from anti-mask patriots come voting time.  Feb - Nov is an eternity in attention span to outrage.




Where are the left-leaning voters going to go?


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Herdfan said:


> Where are the left-leaning voters going to go?




Flavor Town?

I'm just saying there are probably some voters unhappy with Trump's Covid response as their main reason to not vote for him.  Then Biden came at it from the other direction, which those voters might have been happy with initially but it might be starting to wear thin with them.   I think there are also some voters on the left who have done their part thus far but they'd like to see more of an end game in sight.  I think a period of throwing caution to the wind is going to be unavoidable.


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## Eric

Herdfan said:


> Where are the left-leaning voters going to go?



I can tell you where they won't be and that's the hospital on a ventilator. Imagine spending all those years in medical school just to care for a bunch of pissed off selfish Trump supporters who refused to vaccinate. When all is said and done here they may need to re-think their hippocratic oath.


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## Deleted member 215

I guess my question is: what's happening in states like Florida, where no one wears a mask and the state government has basically decided the pandemic isn't a thing? Are they having significantly higher case rates and deaths or is it about the same? Do these restrictions and mandates actually work?


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## Cmaier

TBL said:


> I guess my question is: what's happening in states like Florida, where no one wears a mask and the state government has basically decided the pandemic isn't a thing? Are they having significantly higher case rates and deaths or is it about the same? Do these restrictions and mandates actually work?





Florida death rate is 0.79 per 100,000 people.
California is 0.50.

So, keeping in mind that California is a huge state and has a whole Florida’s worth of people who also pretend that the pandemic doesn’t exist, it does appear that getting vaccinated, masking up, etc. matters.


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## Joe

TBL said:


> I guess my question is: what's happening in states like Florida, where no one wears a mask and the state government has basically decided the pandemic isn't a thing? Are they having significantly higher case rates and deaths or is it about the same? Do these restrictions and mandates actually work?




 Life is normal


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## SuperMatt

Joe said:


> Life is normal



More like death is normal…


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## Eric

Joe said:


> Life is normal



They've just decided to live their life whether or not they get sick, hospitalized or die and the numbers reflect that.


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## Cmaier

TBL said:


> I guess my question is: what's happening in states like Florida, where no one wears a mask and the state government has basically decided the pandemic isn't a thing? Are they having significantly higher case rates and deaths or is it about the same? Do these restrictions and mandates actually work?



Also:

infection rate per 100k people: California = 22k, Florida = 26.6k.  

Hospitalizations:

California = 29 per 100k, Florida = 35. 

Long covid:

California = 3130 per 100k, Florida = 4170 per 100k


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Cmaier said:


> Florida death rate is 0.79 per 100,000 people.
> California is 0.50.
> 
> So, keeping in mind that California is a huge state and has a *whole Florida’s worth of people who also pretend that the pandemic doesn’t exist*, it does appear that getting vaccinated, masking up, etc. matters.




I don't think a lot of people realize that.  Once you start going from the coast to the central valley and pretty much anywhere above SF it starts getting conservative pretty quick.  Then you have Orange County, not just home to Disneyland but also possibly the biggest pocket of rich conservative loons in the state.  I'd also imagine the lesser-known coastal towns are quite conservative, but more of the traditional anti-tax variety.


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## Joe

SuperMatt said:


> More like death is normal…






Eric said:


> They've just decided to live their life whether or not they get sick, hospitalized or die and the numbers reflect that.




Mask mandates ended here last year when the vaccines were rolled out. If people don't want to get vaccinated and die then oh well, that is their fault. #thoughts and prayers - yes, people can still catch it while vaccinated it but everyone I know that was vaccinated and caught it had very mild symptoms if any symptoms at all. The vaccinated people that have died were already very immunocompromised so it sucks for them. The majority of people in hospitals are unvaccinated and that is the fate they chose. 

Some of y'all are too damn nice. These conservatives would march your asses to the gas chambers if they could get away with it, and yall are worried about saving their unvaccinated asses. Fuck 'em! They chose to not get vaccinated. That is their choice. If they die then oh well. I wont be donating to their GoFundMe. I'm not celebrating their deaths. I'm just not losing sleep over it.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

California to debate mandating Covid vaccines at all workplaces
					

The bill would require workers to show proof of vaccination.




					www.politico.com
				




Seems like the state is being a bit bipolar.  This won’t go over well.


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## Deleted member 215

^Yeah, that won’t go well. Even in liberal California, I wouldnt be surprised if we saw a “freedom convoy” here if that happened.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

TBL said:


> ^Yeah, that won’t go well. Even in liberal California, I wouldnt be surprised if we saw a “freedom convoy” here if that happened.





Good luck telling every unvaccinated resident of CA that they are completely unemployable across the board, especially at this late stage.  Not to mention the fuel this will add to national politics.


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## Herdfan

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Good luck telling every unvaccinated resident of CA that they are completely unemployable across the board, especially at this late stage.  Not to mention the fuel this will add to national politics.




To hear some tell it, they are all Republicans so why would anyone out there care?


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Herdfan said:


> To hear some tell it, they are all Republicans so why would anyone out there care?




In my personal experience, I know people who haven't been vaccinated here and they are all Republicans or undeclared right leaners.  Even at my office, 3 out of 12 are unvaccinated - 1 Trumper, 1 easily manipulated right leaner, and 1 with possible legitimate health concerns.  If they all get canned as a result of this it will have a noticeable impact on the rest of us.  Part of the much bragged about record productivity numbers is that employers don't just have a bunch of spare employees laying around to fill in the gaps when you're shorthanded.  Less employees means a lot more work for everybody else.


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## Citysnaps

Eric said:


> They've just decided to live their life whether or not they get sick, hospitalized or die and the numbers reflect that.




Or infect other people, sadly.


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## Joe

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> In my personal experience, I know people who haven't been vaccinated here and they are all Republicans or undeclared right leaners.  Even at my office, 3 out of 12 are unvaccinated - 1 Trumper, 1 easily manipulated right leaner, and 1 with possible legitimate health concerns.  If they all get canned as a result of this it will have a noticeable impact on the rest of us.  Part of the much bragged about record productivity numbers is that employers don't just have a bunch of spare employees laying around to fill in the gaps when you're shorthanded.  Less employees means a lot more work for everybody else.




It's like that everywhere. Almost everyone I know that isn't vaccinated or anti-vax are conservative. 

I am at the point where I just don't care anymore. It's been 2 years. The vaccine has been out over a year and if people aren't vaccinated at this point they never will be so just end mandates and call it a day. If the unvaccinated want to put themselves at higher risk of being hospitalized then that is their choice. But don't expect me to feel sorry for you when you're regretting your decision from your death bed.


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## Eric

Today's the day in CA, I'll still be wearing my mask but will try to relax about others who aren't, the (reported) infection rate is below 6% so I'm feeling better about it.


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## Citysnaps

Eric said:


> Today's the day in CA, I'll still be wearing my mask but will try to relax about others who aren't, the (reported) infection rate is below 6% so I'm feeling better about it.




Same here.  I still have five boxes of 3M N95 masks. That should take me and my wife forward for awhile when out-n-about among the unmasked.  I'll probably end up using a bunch them in my woodshop - a good thing.


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## Deleted member 215

I've been wearing a cloth mask since the pandemic began. I did stop wearing it in the summer of 2021 when the rules were relaxed the first time. I have been wearing it ever since Delta arose in August and the rules were reinstated. I will gauge whether or not to wear it based on what I see around me but I'll still be taking it with me for now.


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## DT

citypix said:


> Same here.  I still have five boxes of 3M N95 masks. That should take me and my wife forward for awhile when out-n-about among the unmasked.  I'll probably end up using a bunch them in my woodshop - a good thing.




I'm thinking of other uses ...

Lightweight jock strap?

Wind resistant hat?

Dog poop slingshot?


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## DT

... and before you ask, yes, I've tried at least one of those.


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## Citysnaps

DT said:


> ... and before you ask, yes, I've tried at least one of those.




Photos?


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## Joe

citypix said:


> Photos?




Yeah, pics or it didn't happen.


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