Retail stores and new CDC mask updates

I read that the Yankees got the J&J vaccine, which has a lower efficacy. Has anyone else read this?

1 Like

Yes! I’m also curious about the timing because the article I read said the team has been operating under relaxed Covid protocols since April and the player Torres appears to have gotten Covid twice
.once in December and now a second time.

I know several teachers and without exception all of them are feeling discouraged, overworked and overwhelmed. ALL of them can not wait to get back into the classroom because it’s easier than dealing with the never ending complications of remote teaching and feeling like a first year teacher every day. (They are back to spending their evenings creating curriculum and figuring out how to deliver it online the next day.) I am a friend to one and relative to another who resigned at the winter semester break because of the additional workload and the hassles. Especially for 40K a year.

In Washington State, vaccine eligibility for everyone did not open until April 15. It’s going to be mid to late June before all those who are willing are fully vaxxed.

ETA: In our schoo district (Western Washington), elementary kids were back half time in early January and have been full time since early March and the teachers in this district were VERY happy to go back. Neighboring district teachers are pleading to do the same.

2 Likes

Ok, then wait two weeks. It is not a long time. In my area, there were enough vaccines for everyone who wanted on for sometime. They are sending out mobile clinics to find arms to jab. Isn’t nyc also has surplus vaccines and now offering it to tourists?

Perhaps Gleyber Torres is one of the unlucky people whose immune systems do not produce full immunity from either past infection or vaccine (both of which he had before getting infected recently).

Yankees COVID outbreak up to nine cases; CDC to look into 'breakthrough' positives - CBSSports.com says that the Yankees got J&J vaccine “last month”, and the COVID-19 cases were found “last week”. It would be somewhat interesting to known exactly when “last month” and when “last week”, since that could be relevant to the vaccination timeline.

2 Likes

Also, infinitesimal is very small but still not zero. Let’s say 100 million people are fully vaccinated. 10 Yankees out of 100,000,000 is infinitesimal and fewer than auto accident cases.

So we had a few customers who did not have masks on but were happy to comply when asked. We had one customer who refused to come in if she had to wear a mask and opted to have the staff bring her purchase outside to her. I guess there is one person trying to make a point in every crowd.

I went into our town to pick up take out and it looked like it did pre-pandemic. Every seat at the restaurant was filled and the bar was 2 and 3 people deep. No masks, and no distancing, despite the signs all over saying to please maintain 6’ apart. If I had unvaxxed kids I would not have brought them there but that did not stop a lot of people. My (unvaxxed) daughter and I were the only people wearing masks that we saw.

1 Like

It sounds encouraging that your customers are happy to mask up for you!

The one customer who didn’t seemed ok to have their purchase brought outside which seems like a win to me also

2 Likes

We drove across the state to our cottage this weekend, and we saw lots of masks, even though the Governor lifted the mask mandate for vaccinated people. Most stores I visited this weekend still require masks, and I didn’t hear anyone grumble. Most people at the rest stops we hit on way to/from the cottage wore masks, which is pretty much how it was before. Basically, it kind of seems like people are pretty cool with wearing masks around others when inside, at least for now.

I think that employees are still required to wear masks in Michigan. Order of the health department.

We went to the bike shop this weekend. We wore our masks in support of the employees and I noticed the customers at the time did also.

Encouraging to me

2 Likes

I am actually quite unhappy with CDC’s latest recommendation. By saying anyone who is vaccinated shouldn’t have to wear a mask indoor or outdoor is putting a lot of business owners in a tough situation. Those business owners may have employees who can’t be vaccinated due to various reasons, and they have the right to protect their employees. Now they have to figure out how to reinforce mask wearing for unvaccinated customers and no mast for vaccinated customers. Good luck. If they think it’s hard to get people to work in customer facings jobs, now it is even going to be harder.

14 Likes

There is no way that a business owner can know who has been vaccinated. I agree that this is going to be tough to enforce.

Business owners probably just have two choices: Require masks for every customer, or do not require masks at all. The business could place a sign “masks required for unvaccinated customers” but I do not see how they could enforce it. They would have to use an honor system in a situation where we know that many will abuse it.

I think that the CDC is in a tough place due to the reluctance of many to be vaccinated. We need to vaccinate everyone who is willing (which I do not think we have quite gotten to yet). Then I think that we just have to let people be idiots and get themselves in trouble. We cannot stay shut down forever,

It would be better if we could get 100% of eligible people vaccinated, but it is pretty clear that this is not going to happen.

1 Like

I went to Lowe’s this afternoon and everybody there except one guy was wearing a mask. I thought there would be lots of folks without but that was not the case.

3 Likes

Hahahaha @deb922 thanks for putting a good spin on it when I was in a grumpy mood. We have been offering curbside for the whole pandemic, for people who did NOT want to come in and be in closer quarters (pre-vaccine availability) etc. So we had the ability to do this but I still think it was odd to not put a mask on for 5-10 min to pick out her item. But I tend to assume the worst about people, not a quality I am proud of. :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Our son just had his second Pfizer today; he said the site was much busier today than during his first dose three weeks ago. But with two weeks until full immunization, he will continue to exercise extra care since the governor lifted the mask mandate for vaccinated in the state of Washington. As others have noted in some states, many people who wanted the vaccine could not have started until April 15, and then appointments were extremely hard to get for a week or so. Son would gladly have gone earlier if possible but would not have lied to get it. So there is this iffy window for so many people to not be protected yet but still be at risk of exposure.

Son said one of the cashiers at the nearby upscale market was unmasked. Per the store website, “ , fully-vaccinated customers and team members now have the option to choose whether or not to wear a mask within our stores.”. One hopes they at least require proof from employees, who were eligible earlier than the general public.

Edit: if son feels well in the morning, he may take a little drive to get his free Krispy Kreme. He’s taking the day off as a precaution.

4 Likes

I think if you are in an area where folks could only recently get their vaccines then it is reasonable to continue to wear masks.

In our area, everyone that wanted one could have gotten one for quite some time so I think most folks will stop going to stores that require masks.

DW and I went to a grocery store we frequent yesterday, with mask in pocket. Most in the store were wearing a mask but we were never asked to and we never put ours on.

Today, DW went to a different store and did not wear a mask. A lady came up to her and asked if it was no longer required to which my wife told her that it was not required and the lady quickly removed her mask. I think/hope this builds quickly!

The analogy I’ve read is that the earlier vaccines made an A on an algebra test while the J and J vaccine got a B on a calculus test. I would take any of the vaccines without reservation.

I won’t be happy to give up wearing a mask in stores. I find I like the anonymity.

8 Likes

Reporting from the greater Seattle area. We did a little local sightseeing and shopping tour today. First stop - a large botanical garden. About 90% of folks wore their masks on the trails (you really can’t see anyone unless you cross paths with them). We did not. Next stop: returns at Nordstrom. Masks required. I happily wore my quirky cat mask. :joy: Normally, when I go to the store to return something, I would walk out with something new
 not this time. Racks and racks of shapeless sacks and sweatpants. The shoppers looked at this drab stuff in pure disbelief, shook their heads, and walked off. I predict an earnings disaster for the next quarter. Stop number three: Costco in the redder corner of our bluish county. Masks were not required for fully vaxxed. We wore ours because we are one week away from the official date (probably 85% or better protected now). About 90% of shoppers wore their masks, and all staff was masked. Estimated 60 percent eligible adults in the county got one shot or more, so some fully vaccinated folks had masks on. Stop four: a local winery. Staff fully masked. We peeled ours off when the wine was poured. The winery also sold masks; I bought a couple with pro-vaccine messages on them to keep for the history. Might frame them and keep as a wall decor after we are done with them. :slight_smile:

6 Likes

Our mayor and the nearby mayor have retained the mask mandates indoors in businesses and other public places. The teen’s employer will keep the masks required sign on the door of the shop but has told the workers not to confront non masked customers.