mask or nah?
Zeitgeist. One year ago, I would have never thought I would be calmly wearing a mask anywhere. I have only seen people in thick air pollution or in dystopian movies wear masks outside of a hospital. Who knew a year later I would be handwashing and matching masks with outfits. We have adapted over the years to a pandemic norm, and now the CDC is finally loosening regulations on mask advice. While Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials are hoping Americans will be “honest with themselves” when it comes to wearing masks and their vaccination status, do you trust the American public?
“If you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, per ABC News.
Federal health officials announced last week that fully vaccinated Americans can go unmasked during large or small indoor and outdoor activities, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. The updated guidance has some experts relieved and excited for a quicker return to normal, while others worry the change was rushed, leaving businesses and people with vulnerable immune systems at a disadvantage.
“The underlying reason for the CDC doing this was just based on the evolution of the science,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said, according to CBS News. “But if in fact this serves as an incentive for people to get vaccinated, all the better. I hope it does actually.”
I'm still double masking at times but in outdoor windy opportunities with little to no people outside of my bubble, I savor the moment of raw fresh air in my nose. So many small businesses have created well ventilated areas or refashioned an outdoor space, I hope these never go away. Our weather down here is so beautiful year-round, it is a waste that people spend so much time indoors with forced air. Local business owners and large chains are having trouble creating policy around these new guidelines. I have seen a “mask for entry” sign every business with little to no enforcement in most places. Business owners, no matter what side of the spectrum, are arrested by their consumers, possibly fated to contract one of these variant strains. Most large corporations have blanketed their stores and franchisees with a policy, but is that helpful for all areas of the country? Local business owners walk a tightrope trying not to offend some patrons while keeping themselves and others safe.
The best advice at this point is make yourself comfortable. America is awarded this luxury while the majority of the world is clamoring for vaccines. Continue to wash your hands and stay home if you do become sick, get the easiest available vaccine and be safe. un