COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

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^
Was already addressed a week ago (And many more times prior):

There’s no need to close this thread altogether (we don’t need a new one really) or rename it (title is creative and technically accurate). Stop requesting such.

It's wrong.

It's not accurate, it's outdated. And this thread title was being changed all the time, or closed and restarted for a new version, now it's stuck on this really outdated news? Really? Someone can come up with another inventive name.

You're not wrong. But at the same time, it's just a name. Who cares?

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Some good news on the California front. Especially after the disastrous surge we had had this past fall:


LA Times: In dramatic turnaround, California now has the lowest coronavirus case rate in the U.S.

Months after a coronavirus surge sickened hundreds of thousands of people, left thousands dead and pushed hospitals to their breaking point, California’s virus case rate is now the lowest of any state in the nation, federal figures show.

Although the distinction doesn’t lessen the heavy toll exacted by the fall-and-winter wave, it does demonstrate the tremendous strides the state has made in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic — progress that, to this point, has not been interrupted even as the state more widely reopens its economy.

For the record:

9:34 AM, Apr. 27, 2021An earlier version of this article reported that Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California Health and Human Services secretary, said that until October diners should probably eat outdoors at restaurants. Ghaly said people will probably prefer dining outdoors at restaurants instead of indoors until that time.

California’s latest seven-day rate of new cases was 32.5 per 100,000 people, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over that same period, Hawaii had the second-lowest rate, at 36.8, and the nationwide rate was 114.7. California has for weeks reported one of the lowest case rates in the nation — though the top spot had remained largely out of reach.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-26/california-lowest-coronavirus-case-rate-nation

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And very good news about the masks! I've already been going maskless on my neighborhood walks, only putting one on when someone walks past me.

I'll still be wearing one when I do indoor shopping. At least until mid-June

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However, how will we be sure who has been vaccinated or not? Will we need to carry around our CDC vaccination cards until vaccine passports become a reality? It's not an inconvenience to me, but I'm sure that people will abuse this or consider it a burden.

That's why I'm not the biggest fan of this "As soon as I get vaccinated, f*** masks & f*** restrictions" mentality. I'd say it'd be easier to just show your vaccine card everywhere you go, but they're not exactly hard to forge.

And for the record, I'm glad the outdoor guidelines have changed. I'm still gonna wear one when I'm out indoor shopping (at least until mid-June).

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https://twitter.com/EricFisherSBG/status/1389971982100402179
Clever idea.

Dodgers Stadium opened up a "Vaccinated Zone" 2 weeks ago wherein social distancing is not enforced (But mask-wearing is unless you're eating or drinking).

Though they're certainly not offering free tickets.

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https://twitter.com/EricFisherSBG/status/1389971982100402179
Clever idea.

Dodgers Stadium opened up a "Vaccinated Zone" 2 weeks ago wherein social distancing is not enforced (But mask-wearing is unless you're eating or drinking).

Though they're certainly not offering free tickets.

What's their rationale for that? Not only are they fully vaccinated but it's outside. It makes zero sense.

Well, the CDC did say "You don't have to wear a mask outdoors unless you're in a crowded setting". Unsurprisingly, I feel that last bit gets overlooked.

Although it's one thing to say it, it's another to enforce it. Don't assume these venues have the most vigilant security forces in the world.

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Seattle Mariners are the latest baseball team to institute Vaccination Zones at their games. And like every other team, social distancing isn't enforced but they do 'require' mask-wearing when not eating or drinking (Dun dun dun!)

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-to-open-vaccination-only-sections-at-t-mobile-park/

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California will end its indoor mask mandate by June 15.

More like California will end its outdoor mask mandate and some of its indoor mask mandate by June 15.

However, speaking near the end of a Wednesday news conference in Monterey County centered on school funding, Newsom appeared to walk back some of those remarks, making a sharper distinction between masks in indoor and outdoor settings.

“I want to clarify in that context that we will be updating our mask guidelines (for) outdoor masking if we reach that (June 15) threshold where we hope to be, where we’ll be eliminating those mandates — they’ll be guidelines or recommendations,” Newsom said. “But for indoor activities, we’ll still have likely some mask guidelines, mandates. But we hope, sooner than later, those will be lifted as well.”

https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article251350488.html#storylink=hpdigest_politics

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I don't have an issue with those who personally decide to continue wearing a mask and mind their own business when it comes to other people but I'm already seeing a growing trend on social media of people trying to shame others for being excited to go without masks or saying the CDC is too premature for doing this when they've been preaching "listen to the science!" for months. All I have to say is f**k those people.

"Twitter isn't real life"

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So far;


Retailers lifting mask requirements:  Costco, Publix, Trader Joes, Walmart

Retailers not lifting mask requirements: Home Depot, Macys, Disney parks (When indoors),

Retailers not lifting mask requirements but "re-evaluating" policy: Walgreens, CVS, Target, Kroger


I'm a little confused of Starbucks, since I just read they were still requiring masks for customers & employees.

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So far;


Retailers lifting mask requirements:  Costco, Publix, Trader Joes, Walmart

Retailers not lifting mask requirements: Home Depot, Macys, Disney parks (When indoors),

Retailers not lifting mask requirements but "re-evaluating" policy: Walgreens, CVS, Target, Kroger


I'm a little confused of Starbucks, since I just read they were still requiring masks for customers & employees.

I was at Kroger this morning.  They still have a "Masks Required" sign up, so I wore mine inside even though I'm fully vaccinated.  But the percentage of masked people in the store was much lower than it has been, maybe 50% at the most.

Yeah, I also listed Home Depot even though there's been multiple accounts in this thread of folks not masking up there. My girlfriend even went into one yesterday and saw around 5 folks unmasked (Honestly lower than I expected).

Kinda why I laugh at folks getting pissy about MLB "enforcing" mask-wearing in vaccinated sections.

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LA Times: California to wait till June 15 to adopt CDC mask guidelines

Californians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can go mask-free in most indoor settings starting June 15 — which also is the target date for reopening the state’s economy, officials announced Monday.

The June 15 change will bring the state into alignment with recently released guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal health officials said last week that available evidence demonstrated it was safe for fully vaccinated people to go without masks in most places, whether outdoors or inside.

That was only a recommendation, though, and the final call was largely left to state and local governments — one exception being public transportation, such as airplanes, airports, trains and buses.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services secretary, said state officials were opting to wait a bit before implementing the new guidelines to give businesses and workers time to prepare for the change — and residents more time to receive their shots.

“It’s in no way saying that the science or the direction by the CDC is wrong or there’s a challenge to it,” he said during a briefing Monday. “It’s really just giving ourselves across the state some additional time to have it implemented with a high degree of integrity, with a continued focus on protecting the public.”

California’s existing rules, last updated May 3, generally require masks to be worn in indoor settings that are outside your own home, with exceptions, such as when it’s a non-workplace setting and everyone there is vaccinated, or when only members of one unvaccinated household are present and all have a low risk of severe complications should they get COVID-19.

Unvaccinated people must also wear masks outdoors at any time they can’t maintain six feet of distance from someone else, and fully vaccinated people need to wear masks in crowded outdoor settings, such as live performances, parades, fairs, festivals and sports events.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-17/california-to-wait-till-june-15-to-adopt-cdc-mask-guidelines


Folks on this board may find it annoying, but I think it's the right move. Most businesses around here still require masks and folks have not given up mask-wearing even after the new CDC guidelines. At least it gives those businesses & everyone else time to re-adjust instead of suddenly jumping full bore.

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LA Times: California unveils sweeping plan for full reopening on June 15 as COVID-19 fades

Come June 15, Californians will wake up to a world that looks nothing like they’ve seen over the past year-plus — one where businesses can open their doors without COVID-19 constraints on capacity or requirements for physical distancing, and where people who are fully vaccinated for the disease no longer need to wear masks in most situations.

California will also align with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to travel, according to Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s Health and Human Services secretary.[...]

Gov. Gavin Newsom foreshadowed the announcement Thursday, telling KABC-TV Channel 7 that, with the new guidance released, “people can really paint that future and see themselves in it: Post-masks and post-any modification in this blueprint,” referring to the system of color-coded tiers that has guided reopenings statewide for the past nine months

“Our positivity rate has remained stable, 0.9 to 1%, our case rates continue to be among the lowest in the United States and our vaccination numbers are holding pretty steady, about 2 million over the last seven days,” he told the outlet. “And while we’ve seen a decline, we’re also seeing a little stability. This gives me confidence that we’re going to get to June 15.”

Though June 15 has been billed as California’s full reopening date, it remained somewhat unclear until now under what circumstances, if any, some safety modifications would remain in place.[...]

While the initial idea was to keep the state’s mask mandate in place, officials this week instead announced that Californians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to go mask-free in most indoor settings starting June 15 — a move that will bring the state into alignment with recent CDC guidance.

One area where there will be some additional requirements is high-attendance indoor events.

The state will require organizers of indoor events with more than 5,000 people to verify that attendees are either vaccinated or have recently tested negative, according to Ghaly. The state will recommend, though not require, the same for outdoor events with more than 10,000 attendees.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-21/california-june-15-covid-guidelines-masks-vaccines-events

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Good to hear. My side effect also was only arm pain/soreness, except for me it was the opposite. My 2nd dose made me a bit  most people are still wearing masks. I just went to Paramus Park for shopping and again, there was no one without a mask. I don't think people here are as comfortable taking it off with or without restrictions (understandably so)

Same here in Southern California. Went to Costco earlier this week and no one was maskless. In fact, I think I've seen more masked folks this month than I ever have back in November when the state restrictions were brought back.

And I don't know if I'd put it on state mandates either cause this particular area (Inland Empire) hasn't been very active when it comes to enforcing mask-wearing & social distancing.

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Los Angeles Times: LAUSD to fully reopen schools, five days a week in the fall

Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner on Monday committed to reopening campuses full time on a normal schedule in the fall, in perhaps his clearest statement yet to students and families.

The L.A. Unified School District — like all school systems in California — will soon need to abide by the state resumption of rules that largely link funding to in-person school attendance in the new academic year. Emergency pandemic rules that have allowed districts to operate online expire on June 30.

“Looking down the path to recovery and the new school year which starts this fall, all students will have the opportunity to participate in full-day, on-campus, in-person instruction,” Beutner said in his regular Monday broadcast.

If that wasn’t direct enough, Beutner clarified further.

“That means elementary school students will be on campus five days a week for a full day of in-person instruction with their teacher and classmates,” the superintendent said. “Middle school and high school students will be on campus five days a week for a full schedule of instruction, changing classrooms for each period. For both elementary and secondary students, after-school programs will be available from the end of the school day until 6 p.m.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-24/post-covid-lausd-fully-reopen-schools-in-the-fall

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Went to a movie theater for the first time today (Albeit not for a movie but for AEW Double or Nothing). Great experience and it felt good not having anxiety by the enclosed air circulation. Though I did find it odd how mask-wearing was required for entry even though there's no way of enforcing it

It's a shame that social distancing measures may be ending soon as I quite liked not having folks directly around me. I guess I can manage if I pick a weekday afternoon to see a movie. Expanded outdoor dining, on the other hand, I hope is here to say.

Hopefully I can go to an Angel game sometime in the next 2 weeks. Looks like a similarly neat experience.

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Apparently, the state of Washington just created a program where anyone that gets vaccinated at participating dispensaries gets free joints.

Between this, beer and baseball tickets, I'm almost regretting getting vaccinated months ago. I guess that serves me right for trying to be a good citizen.

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Without even watching the videos, the people’s facial expressions in the thumbnails alone are pretty great.

Pretty much “WTF? Is she retarded?”

Really? I was honestly surprised how composed & non-chalant some of the folks were. Hell, the lady directly to the left of her in the video seemed to be nodding in agreement about the metallic foreheads.

I don't know how spectators of these governmental hearings can stay composed & quiet at some of the mindlessness that's on display.

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I find it hilarious how riled up folks are getting about the LAUSD and yet the story has barely made a blip down here.

Also, as the Midwest moves on and even though we have another 3 days before restrictions are dropped, the vast majority of folks here in SoCal are still wearing masks except in dining settings. I wouldn't be surprised if half of folks still wear masks for a few weeks after June 15.

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Went to Target & the local supermarket. Today is the second day without California's mask mandates, capacity limits or social distancing. It honestly doesn't look any more different than the last month. I'd say 95% of the folks indoors were masked and the only ones not following social distancing were the 5% of unmasked folks.

It seems at the theme parks, there's a lot less mask-wearing & social distancing going on. But as far as day-to-day indoor shopping, same as it ever was.

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Went to Target & the local supermarket. Today is the second day without California's mask mandates, capacity limits or social distancing. It honestly doesn't look any more different than the last month. I'd say 95% of the folks indoors were masked and the only ones not following social distancing were the 5% of unmasked folks.

It seems at the theme parks, there's a lot less mask-wearing & social distancing going on. But as far as day-to-day indoor shopping, same as it ever was.

I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers go down considerably over the next few weeks. Today, I went back to my job after having been on "vacation" for the past week and a half. I would say that around 80-85% of customers and employees are no longer wearing masks, and about 10-15% still are. At this point, the only remaining mask wearers at my job, I suspect, are the ones who don't feel comfortable with discarding the masks yet or may still be waiting for the two-week period before they are fully vaccinated.

I wouldn't be surprised either. But I also wasn't surprised to see anyone throw away their masks away because the state snapped their fingers and made mask mandates disappear. It's a gradual process and old habits are hard to break. I'm kinda used to wearing the mask now and it feels weird going shopping without it.

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WHO Urges Fully Vaccinated People To Continue Wearing Masks As Delta Variant Spreads—But No Word From CDC

World Health Organization (WHO) officials stressed Friday the need for fully vaccinated people to “continue to be appropriately cautious” and keep up with social distancing measures like mask wearing as the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus becomes increasingly dominant in the U.S. and spurs new Covid-19 surges around the world—including in highly vaccinated countries.

[...]

“Us[ing] masks consistently” and following other social distancing measures like avoiding crowds, hand washing and being in well-ventilated spaces is “extremely important, even if you’re vaccinated,” Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, said, warning, “Vaccine alone won’t stop the community transmission.”

I have a sick feeling that we declared victory too early. It's just becoming summer too. I don't think we have a clear picture as to what's going to happen later in the year.

I still wear a mask when I go places.

I stopped wearing it at work though, even though most of my coworkers are not only unvaccinated but anti-vaccination :/

Interestingly enough, I have a coworker who is still wearing a mask, even though she's fully vaccinated. When I asked her why, she told me that she still does so because she doesn't trust many of the other people in our workplace, who claim to be vaccinated but who are lying and actually aren't.

I believe you mentioned before that you live in a very Republican county. Do you mind me asking which county you live in?

Tons of people I know, including my mom, still wear a mask after vaccination while inside. She doesn’t seem to have a concrete reason, but you do you I guess, it can’t hurt.

It is everyone's choice. I do recall seeing a poll somewhere about a week or two ago saying that a majority of Biden voters are still wearing a mask in public, whereas the majority of Trump voters are no longer doing so. And there is this poll from Axios-Ipsos, stating that 92% of Democrats are very or somewhat concerned about the new Delta variant, along with 73% of independents, while only 50% of Republicans say the same. So there continues to be a massive partisan divide with regards to coronavirus precautions and the pandemic itself.

It's been exactly 3 months since I've been vaccinated and 2 weeks since California got rid of the mask mandates. I haven't let up at all on the mask wearing at all & there's still a good chunk of people wearing them indoors. Putting the mask on is basically habit for me now.

Though I don't blame folks for not wearing a mask anymore. I'm fine with that as long as folks don't rake me to the coals and call me an idiot for still wearing a mask.

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/ J&J snip

That's good to know, even if it's the company itself stating that.

As someone who got the shot back in March, it's a little troubling how I never hear about the J&J shot anymore. Ever since April when they were temporarily pulled and that Baltimore factory had delays, it feels like the J&J has gotten shafted completely and has truly become a "lesser" shot in the public/news/government eye. Even when reading about how much jurisdictions have fully vaccinated, J&J is never mentioned in that equation.

It almost makes me want to go back and get the Pfizer/Moderna shots just to be "truly fully" vaccinated.

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I've actually seen quite a few articles around saying this should be safe to do for people who got the J&J/AZ vaccines if they're concerned with the current level of protection.

This pandemic really has unleashed the hidden idiot in a lot of people. I don't think I even quite have the words for this one.

If it's what you're implying, I don't know if getting two shots to feel over-protective would even make the top 50 dumbest takes about the pandemic.

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All I'll say is that my sanity is much better having drastically cut down my reading of this thread.

Especially when it pertains to the "Stop living in fear" contingent. My head is aching from all the whiplash I'm getting