Retail stores and new CDC mask updates

Made a quick run to the “flagship” Costco store last night. No mask requirement, but about 80% of shoppers and staff wore masks. This is in the area with close to 80% of folks 12 and over with at least one Covid shot. I wore my Go Huskies! mask. No biggie. :slight_smile:

6 Likes

You’re right, I don’t know, so I don’t worry about it anymore. I actually did stay home in lieu of wearing a mask for a year. It was GREAT! Everything came to my doorstep like I was King. When I went back to WalMart after the mandates went away, I realized how much it sucks…not to mention the listeria and salmonella recalls recently.

1 Like

I have noticed a real uptick in mask wearing in the last week or two (Northern VA/DC suburbs). We have started wearing masks inside although we are fully vaxxed. Doesn’t hurt, might help and certainly not difficult.

3 Likes

Ran several errands today (Dallas, TX) and noticed continued increases in voluntary mask wearing. I’m glad to see it.

4 Likes

Yup! I’m in way south Jersey half the time, and mask wearing is rare. I was in the local supermarket one day and only three people, including me, with masks on. Next day I was in a supermarket in Essex County, north Jersey, and only 3 people, of very many in the store, without masks. Difference from one end of the state to the other is amazing.

1 Like

Not always but OFTEN, people are followers. If some start wearing masks in indoor places, more will follow. Not all, but MORE. After some freedom from masks indoors (and perhaps the internal boasting of “I’m vaccinated” - and assumption of if someone is not wearing a mask they are NOT vaccinated) people might need encouragement and the opportunity to socially be acceptable to wear one again - and not be accused of not being vaccinated.

This does not apply to all, but to SOME of the population. And right now, any baby steps we can get will be progress.

Be a leader or be a follower.

1 Like

That said, this morning I wore a mask at our outdoor farmer’s market. Yep, it’s outdoors but it was CROWDED. I felt good about my choice. Maybe someone will see me and follow my example.

2 Likes

I wore a mask to the Farmer’s Market today as well, most of the vendors did too, and about half the shoppers.

2 Likes

I wore a mask to our Walmart for the first time in awhile. I’m starting to get a hairy squirrely again. I am vaxxed and should be ok. Our numbers are increasing but in general our stores aren’t crowded. Most situations I don’t feel bad, but I have also started cutting back my gym time and switching to more running/home gym. But this weekend is tax free weekend and kids return to school on Monday, so Walmart was packed. It felt icky.

I am wondering if I will start wearing it at work again. Everyone in my office has been vaccinated except I am not sure about the new guy who started Monday, but he has been wearing a neck gaiter most of the day. For now Id like to hold off except maybe in big meetings. I was able to bow out of a two hour one. The meeting had 20 people. During the pandemic we were supposed to limit the room to 8, but that ended back in May. I’m sure nobody would be masked and know many wouldn’t be vaxxed. And half my building seems to be coughing. Ick. But I’d rather not wear it 8 hours a day again if I don’t have to.

I was in Target yesterday and didn’t see anything about masks being required. They did have a station when you came in with masks and hand sanitizer available, but nothing about it being required and most people were not wearing masks.

I’m at Walt Disney World now. Masks are required inside here but not outside. Inside includes standing in lines for attractions. I estimate about 2/3 are wearing masks correctly when required. The other third varies from wearing around the chin or below their nose, or holding in it their hand unless reminded. Employees are pretty much letting things slide. It’s all very low key. The most I’ve seen are very gentle reminders.

Disney says masks are also required on transportation but I got on a boat this morning where no one was wearing masks. The captain said it was open sides so we didn’t need to. All the passengers seemed pleased.

Outside mask wearing is rare. I’d say less than 5%.

We’re planning on visiting WDW for a couple of days in October. I hope things are better by then. :frowning:

I was at the grocery store today where mask are only required for the staff. School begins tomorrow, so the store was very busy with parents and kids. I would say about 5% of the people in the store had on mask, and almost all were staff. One woman I pass in the aisles a few times must have been in her 70’s, was wearing hers on her chin. Why bother to put a mask on if you are not going to wear it properly?

I also don’t understand parents bringing their children into the store when they are under the age of 12 and not have them mask. Not sure why I am surprised as many of the schools in my area have had parent protest on the school grounds; these parents do not want the schools to have a mask mandate. I guess if you don’t want you kids wearing mask to school, you don’t want them wearing them at the grocery store either.

A new low today…There were very few of us wearing masks in Costco. A mother, father, and their twin 3 or 4 year olds passed us and one daughter yelled, “Happy Halloween” at us. The family all laughed.

My city has a mask mandate that went into effect this past Monday. I rarely see anyone without a mask in a store. Today at the grocery store everyone was masked except one young couple. However, I work six miles away across the state line and rarely see a mask over there.

We never stopped masking indoors and it’s at least 95% or mire worn correctly. Only removed outdoors or for eating/drinking.

I know that I can be a jerk, because I would have had to fight back saying “Happy Halloween to you as well, I hope you’re all still alive by then!” I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT, but nice move teaching their kids to make fun of others, as opposed to respecting your right to have a different viewpoint.

7 Likes

Yup- here in Orange County if you go to the “ethnic” grocery stores (Asian and Persian), I would say most people are wearing masks (90%+). If you go to Trader Joe’s, I feel like it’s 50%. And it’s the white people in both places that aren’t masking.

Sometimes the discrepancies are counterintuitive. Yesterday I went to an MLS soccer game, with about 10K fans present (two-thirds full). No more than 20% wore a mask. Today I had jury service and we lined up outside in a stiff breeze, more than 6 feet apart, but virtually everyone was wearing a mask for the whole 20-30 minute wait (I just put mine on when we went inside). This is in a county with 90% of the over 12 population vaccinated and an indoor mask mandate.

Maybe anyone who is worried just wouldn’t go to a soccer game at all right now? Maybe those who actually show up for jury service are more dutiful rule followers?
But it does seem that most people are not thinking about the risk that they face in specific situations - I’ve seen plenty of people wearing masks while dog walking in the last week for example.

No mask mandate here…but at the grocery (which was very crowded for some reason) almost everyone was masked.