COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The mayor of Grants, New Mexico, is strongly opposed to COVID restrictions, and won't enforce them in his town. But he comes across as a real loose cannon. Also, I think he is (or was) officially a Democrat.

For the Fourth of July in 2020, he allowed the city's annual parade to take place, and the state tried to fine him $5,000. He also said Grants has never had a mask mandate, despite the statewide mandate.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

There have been bills in state legislatures lately regarding masks, and the vote hasn't been strictly on party lines. But the reaction from the Democratic leadership has been ridiculous, even though some Democrats like Chap Petersen in Virginia oppose forced masking.

The Democratic leadership is absolutely humiliating. The Democrats are ready for the dustbin of history.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

One more week of masking kids outdoors at school.

They are just absolute ghouls.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Effective immediately, New Mexico is lifting its mask mandate in public places and in schools.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

There it is:

https://twitter.com/ByMikeBaker/status/1494433110674456594

I guess this leaves Hawaii as the last holdout.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

My jaw hit the floor a few days ago when New Mexico immediately lifted all its mask mandates, including in schools. My jaw crashed clear through the floor when even a big city like Albuquerque lifted its mask mandate in schools.

If I had to guess, I'd say there's a very good chance the TSA will lift its mask mandate.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

What do you guys think the odds are that NYS drops it school mask mandate on March 7th when it is set to expire?

Over 50/50.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It's actually conceivable (but not very likely) that the 7-day average case count in the U.S. (according to my spreadsheet) might get below 60,000 today.

It would be the first time since July 28.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

After the first day of NYS' school mask mandate expriring, I was kind of surprised at how many kids still wore masks.

I'm more surprised at the high compliance in schools with a mandate. In my day, almost nobody would have complied.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

After the first day of NYS' school mask mandate expriring, I was kind of surprised at how many kids still wore masks.

I'm more surprised at the high compliance in schools with a mandate. In my day, almost nobody would have complied.

How old are you and what part of Kentucky are you from? Curious what demographic is causing this discrepancy.

IME kids nowadays just aren't as rebellious.

I'm 48. I'm from northern Kentucky.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Even our big university lifted theirs.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Attitudes towards masks can change pretty quickly, and right now it's not looking good for militant maskers.

An article from Feb. 1 said schools in Cabell County, W.Va., voted to require masks all the way until the end of the school year.

But an article from just a few weeks later, on Feb. 21, said that schools there voted to drop mask mandates, effective immediately.

In only 3 weeks, a school district went from militant universal masking to no masks at all.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

We just got an email from the president of my university that they are -not- lifting our mask mandate as many of us had expected, because we are still in an are of "high" transmission according to the CDC. :/

That was the CDC recommendation, to continue wearing masks in those areas. That's why I said only 72% of the country was getting the recommendation to stop wearing them.

The CDC updated its map last night, and now this number is way up to 90%.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

National Park Service has lifted its indoor mask mandate for indoor areas - except in the 10% of the country with a "high" transmission rate.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Hawaii is lifting its mask mandate March 25.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Nobody even voted for the TSA.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

You have to keep in mind that the official statistics do not capture all of those who have ever contracted the virus. Many people never got tested for it or were asymptomatic, and didn't even know that they had it. In my home state of Colorado, there was a report not too long ago that over 80% of Coloradoans have immunity to the Omicron variant.

It's sort of like how I had COVID in January, but it was never reported to health authorities. I just knew I had it, and stayed home for 5 days.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The places being hit hardest by BA2 seem to be the ones who kept a tighter lid on Omicron through restrictions. Every successive variant seems to be just a little better at getting past defenses - but unless the damage they do starts reversing course, it won't be enough to cause total chaos. And a place that was heavily hit by Omicron like US/UK is likely to see only a minor effect due to how few reinfections there will be.

It looks like the uptick in the U.K. is already tapering off a tiny, tiny bit.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

For the first time since July 15, America's 7-day average of new cases is below 30,000 - at 29,792.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

For no apparent reason, Austria just brang back its mask mandate "out of an abundance of caution."

[Bandit3 the Worker]

What we should be talking about now is how the legal system should hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

What we should be talking about now is how the legal system should hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable.

Are you talking about the deaths or the mandates?

I'm talking about mandates that ended up ruining people's lives.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

It's still going down a little, but it's analogous to this time last year when it was going up a little. Last year, it went up a little from mid-March to mid-April, but it was nothing compared to other phases.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Also, I notice that lately Corona Scanner has been posting phantom cases again that Worldometer doesn't have.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

When do you guys think the TSA mandate will expire?

April 18. Everyone wants it gone.