There’s been a dramatic decline in mask wearing from what I’ve seen in the SF Bay Area over the last week or two. Almost no one in bars and restaurants apart from a handful of kids, maybe 20% in stores.
Just went to a meeting today at a company where the office is full and fewer than 10% were wearing masks.
Not everybody falls into these categories. I and most other people I know, were eager to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Several of us are high risk for various reasons. But now that we are vaccinated, we mostly fall into your third category. We trust that the vaccines work and wear masks only when required.
Forgot to mention in post 1057 that all of my sons employees are young. Many under the age of 30 and all under the age of 40 (and possibly 35).
Were the two who got breakthrough infections doing “risky” things like going to crowded indoor bars in places with low vaccination rates and high community spread, or not?
There is still significant mask compliance (even though no longer required) in my suburban DC county. Outdoor activities, not as much, though I still see folks carrying masks in case they are needed. ExpatS arrived from Eastern Europe on Saturday so he could come and get vaccinated. Haven’t seen him in 19 months. He’s been (mostly) isolating here at home. Got Pfizer #1 Sunday, is getting Covid test tomorrow. US border security didn’t even ask for his Covid test when he arrived in-country.
My onc reports that my vaccine efficacy numbers were in the 80% range – strong among the leukemia cohort I’m in, but in the lower end of the control group range (non-cancer patients). I am still taking precautions – wore a snug cloth mask and a multi-ply filter when meeting S at the airport, and we drive masked and with the windows down with him in the car. Eating meals outside on the screened porch til he gets the all-clear. With the variant spreading, I don’t think we’ll be going overseas to see him this fall.
It probably varies significantly by location and store. I went into two different grocery stores recently. In one, probably a little more than half of the people were masked (which is down significantly from two weeks ago), but in another one, almost all of the people were masked (not too surprising based on that store’s target demographic).
In all of the restaurants that I have gone into recently, the staff are still all wearing masks, although customer mask use has dropped (and obviously some customers are eating inside now).
I’m on Cape Cod right now and no one is wearing masks indoors or out. I don’t wear a mask with friends and family (all vaxxed), but I’m still wearing them in stores. I trust the vaccines work as advertised which means there is still a chance of getting Covid, and that chance will go up with each new variant.
Yep, Trader Joe’s in the PNW is fully masked, as one would expect.
Very few are masked in my Trader Joe’s in San Diego now.
Not to pick on the two of you, but I am kind of puzzled by vague references to target demographics and the comment about TJs. There have been several comments like this on this thread and I am puzzled. What demographic? Why is the TJ masking expected? I feel like people are talking in code and I don’t know it.
FWIW, masks have been almost completely abandoned in MA where I live. You might see one or two people wearing one in a store, no one wears them outside.
In WA/OR, people took the whole masking thing pretty seriously, compared to other areas. Trader Joes, in my area, is the target demographic of those taking it most seriously. TJs has a very crunchy granola shopper in my area (I am there, too, so not saying it like it’s a bad thing.)
I have spent time in the southwest and the PNW in the last month, the differences in masking attitudes is noticeable. BTW, masking is no longer a state requirement in either area, though some businesses/cities/counties do require it and the Federal sites, like USPS, still require masking.
I just find it interesting to see how, even now, masking very much follows political lines, in a very general sense. We have two nearby towns for shopping, each about 45 minutes away from me. One is red, one is blue. The blue one is highly masked, the red one is rarely masked. Just differences that are intriguing to watch unfold.
Me, I am fully vaxxed and still masked most public places. Not because of Covid, but because I have enjoyed not getting sick since Covid hit, so why expose myself to all those germs now. I did feel like the weirdo in the red town, and not at all unusual in the blue town.
Interesting! The TJ demographic is area-dependent then.
The store I was referring to is a 99 Ranch. The demographic of most shoppers there is more likely to be COVID-paranoid or at least highly COVID-concerned – fastest to get vaccinated, slowest to take off masks (including outdoors).
Thank you. I googled 99 Ranch and learned it is an Asian supermarket chain. Now I think I understand what you are trying to say.
Not too many masks on the TJ employees or customers in the TJ we recently visited (this was in Kirkland not too far from Seattle). I was surprised. Have to check Uwajimaya or H mart for certain ingredients for a recipe I want to make- I will report if mask wearing is still big there. I suspect it will be, and not due to lack of vaccinations.
Masks aren’t required in Colorado and as you could see at the ALL Star Game last night, very few people are wearing them. However, if someone does have a mask on, no one cares and they aren’t view as strange or crazy liberals or paranoid. I think some people will always choose to wear masks now, like many do in Asian countries.
Some stores and restaurants still require their employees to wear the masks, and I notice a lot of clerks still have them on in places where they aren’t required but there are a lot of people in and out all day (grocery stores, drive thru lanes of restaurants. These people may also have gloves on as they touch items and money all day long.
Covid taught us all something about germs and how to not spread them.
I’m currently in Houston. Went to a large Kroger yesterday and about 80% of shoppers and nearly all employees were masked. This store is less than a mile from the Texas Medical Center so many of the shoppers may be affiliated with that. I see plenty of masks outside and still tight controls on visitors to the hospital.
I’ve been taking mine off outside. The ultra high humidity makes me feel like I’m short of breath anyway.
Not sure where to put this- LA mask mandate going back into effect . Worrisome.
Ran into Costco today – 100% masked in the main store. Dining area has reopened, masks were off for eating.
Let’s see how soon CDC reverses its recommendation on masks…