Our state still requires masks indoors—never stopped masking. Most folks do wear their masks correctly—95% or so.
I always am masked in stores. I was diagnosed with cancer recently, thankfully stage 1. I need to protect myself, and frankly I don’t trust people anymore. If I need to wear a mask forever, fine with me.
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We are similar here, about 80% of the adult population vaccinated and people have gotten comfortable not wearing masks again. I’d say 20-25% are wearing masks at the grocery stores. I was at the mall this week and saw maybe 15-20% of the shoppers wearing masks. Except at Lululemon where ALL customers and employees were wearing masks. There was no sign that I saw requiring masks so it was just an interesting observation that everyone was wearing one in there, maybe 20 people.
I wish people round say where they are when posting their observations. This seems to be so local.
I went to three places in central MA this weekend:
Chipotle - no masks at all on either employees or customers
AAA office - no masks here either, maybe 10 people in the place between employees and patrons. The guy who assisted me was wearing gloves though.
BJs- saw about 5 random people with masks shopping, plus one family of 4 who were all masked up. Store was pretty busy and that was it. Only one masked employee and that was an older man collecting carts in the parking lot.
Looks like Austin is moving back to Stage 4 restrictions soon. My dad’s new retirement community is requiring masks for visitors and staff, but not residents at this time.
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After local counties started recommending (not requiring) that everyone wear masks indoors, it looks like mask use has gone up in some grocery and other stores (the ones other than 99 Ranch, where mask use stayed near 100%), but not in restaurants, where more people are eating inside (no masks of course) or getting take-out food without wearing masks. None of the businesses that stopped requiring masks for vaccinated people under the honor system had signs changing their policies, although the counties were recommending that they switch to masks-for-everyone policies.
New COVID-19 cases seem to be about 5-10 times higher in the local counties compared to the numbers in early June (just before various statewide restrictions were lifted). The greater contagiousness of B.1.617.2 / Delta means that the relatively high vaccination rates in these counties are not enough to give herd immunity, even though they may have been high enough to give herd immunity against B.1.
But then maybe the alarm is not being raised much because getting COVID-19 is now mostly a voluntary choice (i.e. with vaccines easily available, not getting vaccinated is a personal choice with personal consequences, while vaccinated people are mostly protected).
The county recommendation (not requirement) to wear masks indoors does not seem to have affected the trends that I have been seeing in restaurants, which is that indoor dining is increasing, and mask use is dropping somewhat among those ordering take-out. However, mask use remains high among staff in restaurants.
I live in MD where we reached the 70% threshold of adult residents having at least one dose of vaccine a while ago. My county is one of the top 3 with highest vaccination rate in state.
Two weeks ago, maybe a quarter of the people I encountered at Trader Joes, Bed Bath and Beyond and Kohls were wearing masks.
Yesterday, it was a noticeably different experience. I went to Sams Club during early hours for Advantage members - hardly anyone there but almost every single person we encountered was masked, including staff. Later in the day, my daughter and I went to Ulta and Barnes and Noble. At least 75% of the people we encountered in both places were masked. B&N was really busy! There was one woman there with two kids who were definitely under the age of 12 - none of them were masked and obviously the kids should have been. There were many kids in the store and all the rest were masked.
I’m guessing the Delta variant is making people where I live more cautious again.
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Mask wearing has also ticked up here in central MA. A week ago there were only a handful of people in stores in masks. This weekend, I would estimate a third of the people had them on. It’s still quite a bit lower than what others describe in their areas but it was a noticeable increase.
I posted last year in the beginning of pandemic - use your common sense instead of waiting for the government to come out with new restrictions. NJ’s infection rate is over 3%, NY’s infection rate is around 2% and FL’s number of cases is over 14K, we are heading to another wave. CDC and local governments are trying to balance keeping people safe and spooking the stock market.
My family members are only eating outdoors again (I was eating and not masking indoors in May/Jun) even if we do not have such restrictions yet. D2 had J&J vaccine and is going to get a Pfizer shot in few days.
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As I say, god saves those who save themselves. 
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Some bars in San Francisco are requiring vaccination to enter, and the bar owner’s alliance is considering a recommendation to bars to do that:
https://www.sfgate.com/bars/article/San-Francisco-bars-vaccine-card-requirement-16327840.php
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I’m back to wearing a mask at retail stores again.
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@Nrdsb4 I think I will be doing the same especially at more populated stores. I was at Costco yesterday and I admit to not feeling as comfortable without a mask as I did a few weeks ago.
Can people do this on their own, or does this have to be approved by a doctor?
I am asking because there are a lot of people who were vaccinated in the early months, and since Israel’s data shows possible waning immunity waning after 6 months, will want to get a 3rd dose. Israel’s data is on Pfizer, and those vaxxed with Moderna could be willing to get Pfizer for their 3rd dose.
I don’t know how vaccination sites would know if you would have had a previous one. I’m in no database
Many people are in VAMS. But then wasn’t requiring an ID to get vaxxed not req’d at some point?
I didn’t go through VAMS. Did a drive through at a hospital, so not sure what database I may be in.
I had to provide a DL when I checked in for my vaccine. I don’t remember what other data I had to give them when I signed up online. I can’t imagine I’m not in a data base somewhere as having had the vaccine. I did go through the healthcare system with which my primary doctor is affiliated, but that doesn’t necessarily mean my information is in a larger database that would prevent me from getting an additional vaccine elsewhere. I just don’t know either way.
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I am thinking about this as well. I am part of the AZ trial here in the US and did receive the vaccine, my 2nd dose was January 20. So I am many months out with a vaccine that is less effective. I am so close to heading to CVS for a Pfizer vaccine, but will be checking with my Dr. this week. Unfortunately I don’t know that she will have a good answer for me.