Apple Reinstating Employee Mask Mandate at Approximately 100 U.S. Retail Stores

[Eric]

Apple Delays Plan to Have Staff in Office Three Days a Week​

• Company cited rising Covid cases for pushing back deadline
• Apple to also again require masks for staff at 100 US stores

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1526623430136709125/

 

[Roller]

I wonder how they're choosing in which stores to apply the mandate. Regional data for community transmission are poor because so many cases are going unreported. Also, it's better to implement measures like masking before the numbers get high.

 

[Clix Pix]

I haven't been to my local Apple store recently but I do still wear a mask when going to the library, the grocery store and the bank...just never stopped doing it, actually. So definitely I would don a mask if going to the mall for any reason, the Apple store or some other store.

 

[mollyc]

I've given up masking. I'm definitely not anti-mask, and I'll wear one if required/requested. But the cases I personally know of (quite a few, including both of my 80+ year old parents and my daughter) are all so mild. We are all vaccinated, and on a practical aspect, I just can't see the world wearing masks for the rest of the future. If I lived with someone immunocompromised I would probably feel differently. My kids are both maskless in school, and my son has been deemed a close contact for I think four out of the past seven days (different exposures) and he still hasn't gotten it. I don't know why some people seem to get it more easily (or frequently) than others....

I will say that my FIL DID pass away from covid in the summer of 2020, although he had a lot of underlying health issues, and for him covid was kind of the last straw. So I do know it can be bad for a some people. But with him, there were no vaccinations available yet. Still, if you are up to date with vaccinations right now, I think that is the best line of protection. Plus I'm never near anyone for more than a couple of minutes when shopping anyway. We don't wear masks to prevent regular colds and flu (although I do see the argument that perhaps we should), and I just haven't heard of any super bad cases in my area lately.

 

[Clix Pix]

I am at the upper end of my 70's, not immunocompromised and in general good health, but due to the syndrome with which I was born (Treacher Collins Syndrome) I do have airway issues which could likely become problematic if I were to catch COVID-19. As far as I know, up to now I have managed to escape it one way or another (unless at some point I had a case which was totally asymptomatic to the extent where I didn't know I were ill at all). I'd just as soon keep things that way! I really don't want to wind up being one of the people for whom a case of COVID does turn out to be bad....

 

[mollyc]

Oh I definitely think it's smart for some people to wear them, and I'm not offended or in any way think it's strange that some people continue to wear them, and if I implied that, I'm sorry.

I'm actually surprised by the number of older/elderly (you might be older but you don't strike me as elderly) people who *aren't* wearing masks. I probably would also, if I were older.

On the other hand, my mother had a heart valve replacement a few years ago (after being a lifetime smoker), and she now has legitimate breathing issues and hates to wear a mask because they do make breathing harder.

Basically, I think people should have the choice to make the appropriate decision for themselves. I don't judge either way.

 

[Clix Pix]

Thank you for the compliment! Yeah, sometimes I'm rather surprised when I every now and then am reminded of or occasionally reflect on just how old I am, as I sure don't feel that way and I (hope) don't act or for the most part think or communicate in that way and am physically quite mobile and active, there is no need to take any prescription meds, etc.

Why would I think you or anyone else is offended because I choose to wear a mask when going out? That's not my concern, what your or anyone else's reaction is to someone who chooses to wear a mask or not.... I do what I feel is right for me.

Yes, I agree with your mother -- it's not as easy to breathe with a mask and I'm always so happy once I'm out of the store or other place to be able to quickly pull the mask down!

 

[Deleted member 215]

I've given up masking. I'm definitely not anti-mask, and I'll wear one if required/requested. But the cases I personally know of (quite a few, including both of my 80+ year old parents and my daughter) are all so mild. We are all vaccinated, and on a practical aspect, I just can't see the world wearing masks for the rest of the future.

Same. I'm not accepting that this should be done forever, especially when the current strains are far less deadly, and hospitalizations and deaths are not up. Masking policies should be based on hospitalizations, not on case numbers alone. I wear one when required (as I am at the school where I work) and I may wear one on the plane when I fly next week just to potentially lower my chances of getting sick (of getting any sickness, including a cold. My mom said she used to always get colds after being on a plane). But I'm not on board with the "masks are forever" mentality.

 

[Eric]

Same. I'm not accepting that this should be done forever, especially when the current strains are far less deadly, and hospitalizations and deaths are not up. Masking policies should be based on hospitalizations, not on case numbers alone. I wear one when required (as I am at the school where I work) and I may wear one on the plane when I fly next week just to potentially lower my chances of getting sick (of getting any sickness, including a cold. My mom said she used to always get colds after being on a plane). But I'm not on board with the "masks are forever" mentality.

IMO reasonable expectations to protect yourself and others isn't necessarily "masks forever" mentality, it's prudent responsibility. We're all tired of them and it's hard to blame anyone for that but hospitalizations are on the rise again and they're saying the new surge will likely blow up in the fall. It's just a matter of time before requirements go back into place.

I think until we get a vaccine that can cover a larger spectrum we're in it for the long haul and it's frankly depressing.

 

[mollyc]

IMO reasonable expectations to protect yourself and others isn't necessarily "masks forever" mentality, it's prudent responsibility. We're all tired of them and it's hard to blame anyone for that but hospitalizations are on the rise again and they're saying the new surge will likely blow up in the fall. It's just a matter of time before requirements go back into place.

I think until we get a vaccine that can cover a larger spectrum we're in it for the long haul and it's frankly depressing.

I wonder if those hospitalizations are among vaccinated or unvaxxed people...or what the split is. Other than very small kids, at this point, if someone is unwilling to be vaccinated, then I think they have to live with the risk of severe consequences. Well, and immunocompromised, but they have to worry about any illness, not just covid. I have very little sympathy for people who get sick because they believe covid is a hoax.

Now, if the majority if the hospitalizations are among vaccinated people, that's a very different story, and one that needs to be addressed by everyone.

 

[Roller]

I wonder if those hospitalizations are among vaccinated or unvaxxed people...or what the split is. Other than very small kids, at this point, if someone is unwilling to be vaccinated, then I think they have to live with the risk of severe consequences. Well, and immunocompromised, but they have to worry about any illness, not just covid. I have very little sympathy for people who get sick because they believe covid is a hoax.

Now, if the majority if the hospitalizations are among vaccinated people, that's a very different story, and one that needs to be addressed by everyone.

The majority of our hospitalized patients have been under- or not vaccinated, or have had other factors that increase their risk. Of course, vaccines don't confer perfect immunity, so there would be hospitalized patients even if 100% of the population were fully vaccinated.

Millions of people are following a similar thought process about COVID-19: It's nearly unavoidable unless I isolate completely, which is untenable for most; if I'm vaccinated, my symptoms will probably be mild, or perhaps like a bout of influenza, which I've had before and lived through; wearing a mask for the indefinite future is too much of an inconvenience and/or has its own downside.

That's understandable, especially when there's no shortage of examples of people enjoying themselves in places like movie theaters, restaurants, and bars. Then, too, we see folks at the highest levels of government in close proximity to other people, all unmasked. They all seem to be doing alright, so what's the problem?

Unfortunately, this calculus ignores the problem of long COVID. As many as 10 - 30% of people who have mild or moderate COVID-19 have persistent symptoms 3 - 4 months (the WHO and CDC definitions are different) after their acute infection. Some estimates are even higher, though it's hard to tell because of self-reporting. The most common symptoms are fatigue and cognitive impairment, also called "brain fog," and they can be extremely debilitating. Women are affected more often than men, and the adverse effects seem to be most problematic in 30 - 50-year-old people. Vaccination reduces, but doesn't eliminate, the risk. There are also patients who experience symptoms long after having recovered completely from COVID-19. They also represent a form of long COVID, and the symptoms can affect any organ system.

There is much active research on this, though it should be funded to a much greater extent. This includes determining the underlying cause(s), which may include persistent inflammation or an immune reaction to viral remnants. I think we'll know much more over the next year. As well, preventive measures such as intranasal vaccines are actively being tested, and I'm sure there will be better treatments than Paxlovid, which may help with long COVID.

While all this is happening, I'm still wearing high-quality masks when I'm indoors. I've worn masks my entire professional life, and I don't find them too much of a burden. Would I like to not have to wear them as much as I am now? Sure, but for the time being, I'm trying to be reasonably cautious. I've heard the argument that immunocompromised and other vulnerable individuals should just stay home and can mask in public, but I believe I'm protecting them if I'm unknowingly infected (which happens far more often than people are aware).