Do you think Mask mandates will go away before 2022?

[DisneyJamieCA]

I just wonder if the covid vaccine will become like the flu vaccine, something you get once a year.

I fully anticipate it will. At least for a few years as more variants become known.

 

[HeatherC]

That's because they have no idea

We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions—like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces—in public places until we know more.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
I think we will be still wearing masks at the end of 2021

I completely agree.

 

[HeatherC]

True. A virus is running the show. But I don't think wearing a mask, washing your hands and assuming you can still spread covid is going to hurt you.

Definitely not...such a simple thing to do. Better safe than sorry.

 

[disneychrista]

I don't think masks are going away before 2022. Even after I get vaccinated I will continue to wear a mask because there is still so much unknown/changing. I am only getting the vaccine as a safe guard not as a get out a jail free card.

 

[RamblingMad]

I fully anticipate it will. At least for a few years as more variants become known.

Definitely.

The problem is that we need to be concerned about the rest of the world, not just the US. Variants can continue to evolve in other parts of the world, and as travel resumes, those variants will eventually make it to the US. Some variants will do a better job of breaking through the vaccines than others. The big problem is that his virus is more deadly than the flu. And we're still figuring out the long term effects post getting it.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I think the desire for masks will remain for many through at least 3026.

But I think the tipping point will come much sooner, in 2021 in some states and in 2022 in others.

Once politicians find their polling shows that the majority of registered likely voters prefer no mask mandate and continuing with the mandate will possible cause them to lose an election, the mandate will go away.

It's already happening in some areas.

 

[neverlandsky]

2024.

I think the States that removed the mask mandates will have to roll back and reinstate the mask mandates due to increased cases, variants, and breakthrough cases come Fall. Even if the masks go away completely, I'm going to continue wearing a mask in grocery stores.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Have you even been to any Asian county? Let me tell you, mask wearing isn’t the norm.

I have - both China and Japan for starters. Mask wearing is certainly the "norm" when out in public. At least it was in the locations where I was.

 

[goofyernmost]

I DO

 

[jlwhitney]

I have - both China and Japan for starters. Mask wearing is certainly the "norm" when out in public. At least it was in the locations where I was.

It is the norm in that you don't get funny looks if you do but there is no law or mandate for it, and no sign on the door. My SIL lived in South Korea for a year and saw people wearing them but that was it no expection for her to wear one or anything and she said it was mostly on public transportion that she saw them.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I have - both China and Japan for starters. Mask wearing is certainly the "norm" when out in public. At least it was in the locations where I was.

It could be somewhat regional. I guess masks were the “norm” in that it was common enough that it wasn’t head turning to see somebody in a mask but certainly stood out more than those not wearing masks.

I lived in Tokyo for 5 years and my station was the busiest in the city with millions of people going through there daily. At least twice a day nearly everyday through that station and general daily living for half a decade and never once was I ever in a place or situation where anything close to 50% of people were wearing masks.

I never considered it the norm or necessary to fit in but that could be down to semantics. I think if something is the norm that means more people do it than don’t.

I only ever vacationed to cities in China, S. Korea, Taiwan etc. so it was limited time but I don’t remember seeing most people wearing masks where I was.

of course this is just my own opinion and observations, I don’t know official statistics or anything.

 

[luvsvacation]

I think it’s going to vary regionally. Around here (suburban mid west) I think masks will be mostly gone by summer. We’ve never had a mandate, only individual stores having a mask “requirement”. Since July when most of the big stores put up the mask requirement signs masks have been pretty normal in grocery stores etc. I would only see an occasional person or so without a mask. However I went to Walmart yesterday and at least 35% of the people had no masks on. I think people are going to stop wearing them quickly here...I do think dr offices and govt offices will probably continue to require them for awhile more.

 

[mom2rtk]

I stopped at a Dairy Queen in central Missouri on the way back from my daughter's campus this afternoon. Our city and the city her campus is in both have mask mandates with good compliance still. But as far as I know, the area DQ is in never has had a mandate. There were dozen or so people inside DQ (busy day) standing around waiting on their orders....... and only a couple were wearing masks (I was). Dang it was startling to me! I scurried off to wait in a far corner away from everyone, but I'm sure I could adjust again to not wearing a mask. It will just take some time. I've been fully vaccinated for over a month now so it shouldn't really be a huge deal.

Personally I think the mask mandates will sort of fall on their own. Some defiant people will start going in places without them. Others will see them and start doing the same. Once a bunch of people stop wearing them, the lawmakers will have to decide whether to keep the mandate in place and appear weak and ineffective, or to cancel the mandate or to start punishing offenders.

 

[Timandalicia]

With the vaccines now going into full circulation and being made readily available to everyone (I got my first dose of Moderna just two days ago), and the percentage of fully vaccinated Americans steadily rising with each passing day, does anyone think that we will return to a degree of normalcy before the end of the year, or will we still be forced to mask up and social distance into 2022, even with a significant chunk of the population vaccinated?

I asked my supervisor at Nordstrom about this, and they simply said they weren't privy to that knowledge at the time and had no intention of relaxing on protective measures anytime soon.

I'm mostly referring to larger states with bigger populations like California, by the way.

Yes I do.

 

[GreatLakes]

The Covid vaccines don't, and can't, provide sterilizing immunity. Because of that the only way we will slow the virus enough to get on with life is a combination of vaccination and other mitigation factors including masking.

The vaccine alone will not slow the pandemic.

 

[RamblingMad]

I still don't get why this is still such a big deal for people. I saw a few people at the grocery store not wearing masks today. Every one of them was ugly and would have looked far better wearing a mask.

 

[_19disnA]

Even in the states where the politicians have lifted mask mandates, does NOT mean that businesses can't still make their own rules. As I understand it, states where the politicians have lifted those mandates hasn't changed the way businesses choose to operate. Covid won't be eliminated by proclamation. Being in denial or waving around a magic wand has yet to make covid go away.

Even if others want to stop wearing masks, attend large indoor events, go to crowded indoor restaurants/bars and do away with social distancing, does not mean everyone else has to do the same.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The question is really a multi-layered one

• Will mask mandates go away before 2022?
  • Yes there will be places (and I'm guessing a good amount) that will remove a mandate by the end of the year. Other places have dropped them a while ago entirely.
• Will mask mandates be forever gone never to be used ever again?
  • No I think they will be in the back pocket that can be brought out in the future. Powers afforded to officials have been limited and may be further limited in the future however.
• Will mask mandates be favorable in the above case for the public?
  • Probably more around flu season time for the next year or two and/or if cases explode depending on the locale but even then there's always a threshold.
• Will the public continue to wear masks until 2022 without a mandate?
  • Some def. will. We may see an uptick around flu season again for the next year or two.
• Will companies or certain tourist destinations still have mask mandates in 2022?
  • Yes I'm betting some will.

The last one is probably the one to stick around the longest without going away and being brought back.

Public acceptance, public compliance is a whole 'nother question/discussion but without a doubt there will be more resistance from government officials making the decision.

 

[China Expat]

Nope. Studies show the vaccine greatly reduces transmission.

Which cultures are you referring to? Please be specific.

Asian countries have a tradiition of mask wearing year round, but especially in flu season.

 

[jlwhitney]

Asian countries have a tradiition of mask wearing year round, but especially in flu season.

and it’s also for air pollution