Walmart today: if you are vaccinated it's your choice whether to wear a mask.

[captain queeg]

That’s what the greeter at the door said. Apparently in the honor system. I wore mine, as the majority of people did. I’m vaccinated and not worried but the honor system doesn’t seem like a good idea to me.

[secondwind]

1. Unfortunately, your mask protects others from you...

And nothing else. It’s crazy.

[Blues Heron]

12. wrong

[secondwind]

15. Can you please elaborate on this? I'm curious.

[Liberal In Texas]

17. My N95 mask protects me from others. n/t

[secondwind]

22. I agree to that. What I just read now is that the CDC

updated their previous position in November 2020.

They originally said the wearing of masks did not protect wearer, just others. Am glad that issue is resolved.

N95 masks are in a league of their own 🤩

[Blues Heron]

24. if you can't find n95s get a box of korean KF94s

Great masks, way better than the ill fitting square surgical masks.

[secondwind]

25. Thanks. I bought 100 N95's on Amazon a while back.

They came in two packages. I think they were Kimberly Clark. Don’t remember. I live in the Caribbean, I share with others as well. It’s the right thing to do. M

[Blues Heron]

26. be safe!

[Blues Heron]

19. Your mask protects you from others and others from you

It's not just a one way thing.

[Ms. Toad]

34. Masks protect both the wearer and others.

Somewhat better protection for others, but still significant protection. That has been known pretty much as long as the fact that they offer any protection at all.

This was another misstep in info from the government & CDC. The motivation for this misstep seemed to be too call on people's goodwill to others (in the hope that if you weren't concerned for yourself, you might at least be motivated to help others.

[Skittles]

2. there is no honor system with Trump humpers

they are fuuuuuucked up

[cstanleytech]

3. I don't like wearing a mask at all as it makes it difficult for me to breathe but I do it

and will still do so until the virus is under better control.

[Blues Heron]

20. you have the wrong kind of mask then

get a good one - wearing it could save your life.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I am vaccinated.

But I never shop at Walmart. If I want to contribute to Republicans I will do so directly.

So anyway, I am happy that where I live, Santa Fe NM, most stores have signs saying if you're vaccinated you don't need to wear a mask. Hooray! But some places still require masks. Darn. Mildly annoying but not a problem. I keep a mask in my purse and will happily put it on if required.

I am slightly surprised at how many people are still wearing masks. I won't question them, but I do want to tell all those who are out walking in a park or wherever, you really do not need a mask, even if you are not vaccinated. Honestly.

[barbtries]

14. I'm wearing a mask.

the vaccine is not 100%, and there will be another bug down the line as well. There was almost no flu last year due to social distancing and mask wearing. Honestly, my choice, to protect myself and others, and I am comfortable with it.

[area51]

56. +1 n/t

[Naio]

5. Still using my mask 😷

I will continue to use my mask..I am one of the many people that theirs immune system did not react strongly to the vaccine..plus many weirdos around here are not vaccinated.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

65. Your immune system reaction to the vaccination has absolutely nothing

to do with how well you are protected. I had zero reaction to my J&J vaccine, and I'm confident I'm immunized.

I happen to have a very strong immune system, never get the flu, almost never get colds (maybe three in the past ten years) and so on. You simply have a different immune system.

That said, if you are more comfortable continuing to mask, do so.

[Jon King]

6. Come on now, we beat the virus!!

Is this for real? If you are vaccinated, you are protected, enough already!!

We threw our masks away 10 days ago and never looked back. Its great to see people again, see smiles, enjoy life.

Seriously, its time to celebrate. If some dimwits don't get vaccinated, oh well. Most US adults are at serious health risks from obesity, so there are bigger things to worry about health wise.

[gab13by13]

9. There are many establishments that still require masks,

throwing away your masks reduces your freedom. I take my wife to the hospital for her 23 day course of radiation treatment, glad I didn't throw my masks away or I couldn't go with her.

[Blues Heron]

16. except for the 124 people that died from COVID 19 yesterday

They won't be celebrating. Once cases go to zero we can say we beat the virus. Until then, mask up as if your life depends on it - it does. The vaccines are not 100 percent. You can be vaccinated and still get sick.

[tanyev]

28. And the breakthrough cases.

As of a couple weeks ago Dallas County reported 506 breakthrough cases, 82 of them hospitalized with 7 deaths. I'll keep my mask on, thankyouverymuch.

[EX500rider]

33. What % of the people who died were fully vaccinated?

I got the J&J 3 weeks ago and don't feel the need to wear the mask unless required anymore.

[Blues Heron]

37. Out of 506 people that got COVID 19 despite the vax 7 died in Dallas Co

from the post above - Dallas County reported 506 breakthrough cases, 82 of them hospitalized with 7 deaths.

The vax is not a perfect shield by any means. We are not out of the woods, the virus has not been beaten. You don't even want a mild case - my friend got it a year ago and still has smell/taste issues - that's scary.

You can still catch Covid with the vax, and you can still die from it.

[beaglelover]

50. Tiny risk of getting COVID if fully vaccinated.

I'll take my chances by not wearing a mask come 6/15 when CA fully opens up again!

[Blues Heron]

52. 500 in one county - do the math

Ill be masking until the cases drop to zero and stay there for a while. Each and every one of those 500 and the 7 that died in that county probably thought the same thing- "tiny chance of getting covid"

[beaglelover]

57. How many vaxed in that county?????

[Blues Heron]

63. the vaccine was supposed to keep you out of the hospital

that county proved that to be quite wrong. Don't believe the hype, keep masking until this thing is out of here.

[beaglelover]

64. Nope, not wearing the mask come 6/15.

Dallas County, TX has 910,067 fully vaxed people. There were 506 breakthrough cases, which translates to a breakthrough percentage of .0556%. I'll take those chances.

[Blues Heron]

67. That's like buying a lottery ticket you don't want to win

Grand prize - a ventilator. Better to mask until the threat really goes away.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

66. There's something not quite right about that.

I have read within the last week that "breakthrough" infections are so rare, and anyway almost never result in hospitalizations, and never in death, that the CDC had stopped tracking then. Those numbers seem completely out of line with what the CDC tells us. We simply need more information about those people. Ages, any kind of pre-existing condition including obesity, and so on. Given that only about 35% of Texans are fully vaccinated, another question I'll ask is if 506 vaccinated people got Covid, how many unvaccinated people got it?

[Blues Heron]

68. OK what are the true numbers?

Seems legit since the vaccines were never said to be 100 percent effective.

[liberal_mama]

49. Probably a lot more than 124 deaths, 20 states didn't report their new cases and deaths

Florida hasn't reported any new cases or deaths on Worldometers for the past 3 days.

[barbtries]

18. we haven't beat the virus.

we have mitigated it to a great extent. still an average over the past week of over 20,000 new cases a day.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=covid+rate+USA

People smile with their eyes too. Just being able to go out and be in the world is celebration enough. I plan to be wearing a mask from here on out.

[secondwind]

23. I think it's a bit premature to celebrate .

Unless you forgot the sarcasm button 😍

[Ms. Toad]

38. Nice to know you think that 0-11 year-olds are dimwits.

They are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, and until they can be, we are obligated to protect them, by an effective masking program. That means we have to abandon the honor system or require everyone to continue to wear masks.

Not to mention that the chance you week have a breakthrough case increases with exposure. The more COVID creating exposures you encounter (i.e all those unmasked, unvaccinated wonders), the more l likely you are to become a breakthrough case. And the more COVID running around in the unvaccinated population, the more likely they are to create variants that our immunity does not protect us from.

That is the flaw in the CDC logic. The unvaccinated do not live in isolation. We are all interconnected.

[DiamondShark]

60. That's too bad, should have donated the masks. n/t

[John Ludi]

7. Still wearing

a filter mask with a fabric one over it in any enclosed spaces...especially retail settings.

[Sherman A1]

8. We will continue to wear masks at indoor enclosed locations

For the foreseeable future. We are both vaccinated but as you can still contract the virus it only seems prudent to me to take a simple extra step.

[gab13by13]

10. The Walmart policy means nothing to me,

I don't do Walmart, never did.

[AZ8theist]

11. Asshole Trump supporters have been maskholes since day one...

NO WAY to tell them apart from people who have been actually vaccinated...

ESPECIALLY AT WALMART.

[jaxexpat]

13. Accidently went maskless in Home Depot last week. Vaccine doesn't prevent forgetfulness.

First public full face nude in over a year. About half there didn't wear mask. That was pretty typical. It felt strange, like I was asking for a cold.

[barbtries]

21. i did that at doggy day care.

a couple times I've gotten out of the car without it then went back for it. In typical human fashion it's much easier to lose a good habit than a bad one.

[jaxexpat]

29. Talis est vita

[Generic Brad]

27. Why not follow CDC recommendations?

I'm fully vaccinated. I'm not going to get it or give it. I take our government scientists at their word.

I don't for a second think that if I continue wearing a mask in public that I will inspire any unvaccinated person to change their behavior. They are going to be reckless with their own lives no matter what I do.

[KentuckyWoman]

32. I continue to wear mine for a specific reason.

My neck of the woods has a Children's hospital with a unit that specializes in treating children with serious illnesses that tend to compromise immunity. All the stores I frequent are right near the hospital.

The parents of these kids have no idea who is vaccinated by looking. Science aside, I figure those parents have enough stress. I can keep a mask on in that situation a little longer to help them have more peace. Nearly everyone who shops in that area is choosing to do the same.

[Ms. Toad]

39. Because there is a sizeable group of people who are not yet able to be vaccinated.

Until the 0-11 year olds are able to be vaccinated, it is our obligation to protect them.

[CrackityJones75]

41. But if the vaccinated are not likely to get or give...

[Ms. Toad]

45. Do you really trust the honor system?

That's exactly how we got where we are today.

So when you say you don't care about the idiots exposing themselves, you are also saying you don't care about the idiots exposing the 0-11 year old group who can't protect themselves.

We have a responsibility to protect them. That either means ditching the honor system (and truly checking and enforcing masking to prevent the idiots from exposing our kids) - or continuing to enforce masking for all (because we seem to have more stomach for that).

Or just not caring that our kids get sick, some of them get heart damage, some of them die.

[Generic Brad]

43. If we can't pass the virus, what are we protecting them from?

I'm just trying to learn if there is something I am missing.

[Ms. Toad]

44. If we become infected, we can pass the virus.

Because we become infected at a lower rate, it is less likely. BUT - the other issue is that the more exposures capable of causing COVID that we encounter, the more likely it is that we will be a breakthrough case. 95% protection x 100 exposures is only 5 cases. 95% exposure x 100,000 exposures =500 cases. So it is in our best interests to limit the exposures.

But specifically what we are protecting the 0-12 year olds from from is our societal unwillingness to require proof of vaccination before masks are removed. We have learned form several surges that the honor systen, and trusting people to do the right thing doesn't work. That's how we got where we are today.

So at least until everyone can be vaccinated there are two solutions to provide adequate protection for those under 12: (1) demand proof of vaccination upon entry to indoor venues, slap a wristband or other identifier on those who aren't (so they don't just take their mask off later), and insist they put their mask back on - OR - (2) continue universal mask wearing (and then we don't have to selectively enforce the rules).

[Generic Brad]

48. Thank you for the information

[madville]

40. I am, no more mask wearing unless no other choice

Dentist last week says no masks required for vaccinated folks, VA medical appointment at a contracted location same thing, many stores have removed their signs completely here in FL.

Dr. Fauci says fully vaccinated folks are at very little risk, most breakthrough cases are asymptomatic and it is almost impossible for those to spread to others in public settings.

For many the mask has become a symbol of virtue and a comfort object (security blanket), I imagine we’ll see a dwindling number of people wearing masks for years, probably a few for the rest of their lives. That’s their right to do that though, and if they have immune system conditions or live with someone who does or something similar it makes sense for them.

[SoCalDavidS]

30. I'm Looking Forward To Being Able To Wear The Vented N95 Masks Again

I had bought a box early in the pandemic, and then when they started not being allowed, since they protect you and not others, I had to stop wearing them.

Now nobody cares if I wear something that protects them, I can focus on myself, and not have to worry whether others are protected by my mask.

[LisaL]

62. Same here.

I purchased some early on, then they were not allowed since they have valves. Now I can wear them since there is no mask mandate any longer. At least I can protect myself and be comfortable.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

31. I still wear a mask regardless,

especially when I'm making a delivery to a business, it keeps me safe and those around me safe.

[Poiuyt]

35. I still wear a mask so people don't think I'm a Republican

Seriously

[SammyWinstonJack]

55. Yeah, same here.

[honest.abe]

36. Our local grocery store has the same policy now.

However everyone I saw still had mask on.

[CrackityJones75]

42. The likelihood of getting covid

The likelihood of getting covid after full vaccination is extremely rare. So if you don’t get covid how will you spread it to those who have ‘t been vaccinated?

I may be wrong in my thinking but everything I am reading is that vaxed people don’t really need to wear the mask. And if it is because some people won’t get vaxed and we won’t know who is who, well that is never going to change and I am not willing to set precedent that we have to continually do extra because they won’t do what is right.

[beaglelover]

47. Agree 100%!!

[beaglelover]

46. Come June 15th, no more mask wearing for me!

I did everything I was supposed to do over the past 15 or so months, got fully vaxed as soon as I was able to. There's a tiny chance I could still get COVID but according to the scientists, I can't give it to anyone else, so I'm not wearing a mask from June 15th forward, period. It's not natural. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's faces again!

[Happy Hoosier]

51. Meh. I'll wear a mask is a place requests it....

But Otherwise I’m done with that.

[Meowmee]

53. In our area

The majority are still masked tg regardless of what the stores require. However one man was coughing like crazy although he had a mask, it was a thin cloth mask which would not be very effective so I left asap. We will continue to mask until infection rates are way, way down and hopefully vaccination rates are way higher. I will not take anymore chances however slim to contract covid again.

Long hauler here and my father’s health has been destroyed by it. There are already variants present here which reduce the level of protection of some of the current vaccines. New variants may develop, which can be worse and more resistant, due to the low vaccination rate overall here and now the ability of unvaccinated to go unmasked. The level of daily infection rate is 20,000 per day last I checked.

After having unmasked sales people knock on the door who refused to leave without opening the door when asked I have placed signs of “no solicitation” and “masks are required even if vaccinated” at the door.

I will be getting testing soon and as needed to try to make sure my vaccination was effective enough to protect me.

[Yavin4]

54. Right now. The potential global economic crisis is of a much bigger concern than COVID-19.

The global COVID-19 numbers show that the virus is well under control. The number of global deaths on a daily basis is less than 12,000 a day which is statistically zero. India has seen a 28% drop in cases and a 14% drop in deaths from the previous week.

It's time to get back to normal as soon as possible.

[GulfCoast66]

58. I wear mine where asked. Generally don't if not asked.

That said my county has one the highest vaccination rate in Florida and besides the grocery I don’t go a lot of places.

We normally like to dine outdoors when we go out and that predates Covid. Even in the summer if there is shade and a breeze or fans we enjoy being outside even in Florida’s summer.

I certainly don’t judge those who are still very careful. And for all I know they may not be able to get the vaccine so are still at risk.

I will probably be avoiding communities with low vaccination rates.

Unfortunately we are entering a time when all but a very few cases will be among those who won’t get a vaccine and most breakthrough cases in those. communities with low vaccination rates.

[Ace Rothstein]

59. I'll wear it if required but otherwise done with masks.

Great seeing people get back to normal.

[Wingus Dingus]

61. I found out it's pretty easy to fall out of the habit of mask wearing--

at first it made me uneasy, but after a couple weeks in stores and other places without it, it's hard to remember to bring one with me in case some places still require it.