COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[Mr. Illini]

A few days in to the end of Illinois' six-month-long mask mandate, almost no one is wearing them from what I have seen, except for the Ash Wednesday service that I attended this evening where almost everyone was wearing them.

I wonder if people who attend Mass are more likely to wear a mask or if people feel more guilty at Mass and put them on while there.

[MATTROSE94]

A few days in to the end of Illinois' six-month-long mask mandate, almost no one is wearing them from what I have seen, except for the Ash Wednesday service that I attended this evening where almost everyone was wearing them.

I wonder if people who attend Mass are more likely to wear a mask or if people feel more guilty at Mass and put them on while there.

A lot of the Catholic Churches, synagogues, and mosques at least in New York and New Jersey are very strict about masking as well. Not so much with Protestant churches however.

[GregTheGreat657]

After the first day of NYS' school mask mandate expriring, I was kind of surprised at how many kids still wore masks. My school could have done a better job of getting rid of the signs telling readers that masks were required. The principal of my school went on the announcements this morning to say that the mandate was officially lifted. A few observations that I made were that girls were more likely to wear masks than boys, and more introverted students were more likely to wear masks. I chose not to wear a mask, and it felt weird in a good way.

[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.

[John Forbes Kerrygold 🧈]

A few days in to the end of Illinois' six-month-long mask mandate, almost no one is wearing them from what I have seen, except for the Ash Wednesday service that I attended this evening where almost everyone was wearing them.

I wonder if people who attend Mass are more likely to wear a mask or if people feel more guilty at Mass and put them on while there.

Still seeing a lot in my neighborhood, though mostly outside. My office lifted their mask requirement on Monday and 99% of people immediately ditched them.

[Lief 🗽]

I have seen essentially zero change in NYC since the mask mandate was lifted. Nearly everyone is still masked indoors.

[Calthrina950]

I have seen essentially zero change in NYC since the mask mandate was lifted. Nearly everyone is still masked indoors.

After the first day of NYS' school mask mandate expriring, I was kind of surprised at how many kids still wore masks. My school could have done a better job of getting rid of the signs telling readers that masks were required. The principal of my school went on the announcements this morning to say that the mandate was officially lifted. A few observations that I made were that girls were more likely to wear masks than boys, and more introverted students were more likely to wear masks. I chose not to wear a mask, and it felt weird in a good way.

This is not surprising. So many people have become acclimated to wearing masks over the last two years, and it's not going to be an easy habit to shake for some of them. Like I've said before, ~10-20% of the customers and employees at my job continue to mask up, probably for the same reasons. It will be months before we see these numbers diminish.

[Dr. MB]

I have seen essentially zero change in NYC since the mask mandate was lifted. Nearly everyone is still masked indoors.

It’s gonna be a slow climb down for a lot of folks. Saw the same thing happen last summer on a lesser scale.

[Ferguson97]

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.

[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.

[jamestroll]

I have seen essentially zero change in NYC since the mask mandate was lifted. Nearly everyone is still masked indoors.

Northern Virginia.. a significant amount are masking but well under 50%!

Closer to 20% tbh.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

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. :/

[T'Chenka]

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. :/

Give it a few weeks. I doubt it will last.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Even our big university lifted theirs.

[Calthrina950]

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. :/

Universities appear to be the last major holdouts across the country, with regards to lifting their mask requirements.

[Ferguson97]

https://twitter.com/GovMurphy/status/1499783316739956737

Murphy says today will be the final covid briefing, calls it an endemic

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

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. :/

Give it a few weeks. I doubt it will last.

Even though our case number are in "low/medium" territory, our region is now at 41 hospital admissions/100,000.  We need to get below 20 before we are out of "high" transmission. 

I have to admit, I still get several emails a week saying another kid at my daughter's day care had newly tested positive.  I'm a little surprised by this given how much case numbers have dropped nationwide. 

[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.

[emailking]

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.

[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%.

[GregTheGreat657]

What is going on in WV, to the point that 43 out of 55 counties are still recommended to wear masks indoors, despite 90% of the US population no longer being recommended to mask?

[Ferguson97]

What is going on in WV, to the point that 43 out of 55 counties are still recommended to wear masks indoors, despite 90% of the US population no longer being recommended to mask?

My guess is high cases and low vaccination rates?

[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.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

What is going on in WV, to the point that 43 out of 55 counties are still recommended to wear masks indoors, despite 90% of the US population no longer being recommended to mask?

If you look at the NY Times covid map, you can see that there are three main pockets of substantial transmission (based on case rates, not the CDC metrics).  They are the Upper Mountain West (Idaho and Montana are actually #1 and #2 on their cases per capita chart), far Northern New England, and a swath of Appalachia centered on West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.

All of these areas are relatively isolated.  It may simply be a case of Omicron taking an extra week or two to reach them, so they are slightly behind the curve in coming down from its wave.

The South as a whole (the least vaccinated region and the one with the fewest restrictions) only has covid case rates in line with the national average, so I think it's more a case of Omicron having been late to arrive in the areas that are a little higher now.

[Mr. Morden]

Here in Daly City, CA, I still see on the street that about half of pedestrians are wearing masks outdoors.