Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Provincetown: unemployment, neighborhoods, live)

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I agree, why the sudden rush to be maskless indoors? I personally wasn't one of the ones who was chomping at the bit to be one of the first to get vaccine...it's also been available to people 18 and older or whatever since April 19th. I have had my first dose and scheduled for my 2nd next week. I am sure there are people who haven't had a first dose yet for a variety of reasons. I get that people want to get back to normal but it's not like the flip of a switch. I am fine with continuing to wear a mask indoors.

I was skeptical about wearing a mask outdoors all along when not in a crowded area. I took my kid to the playground last week and walked in without my mask on mostly because I hadn't had a chance to put it on AND technically i don't see the point of wearing one outside in a non crowded area. My daughter did have one on. I noticed a little girl about 5 take hers off and her dad told her to put it back on and she still needs to wear it. She pointed at me and said, she doesn't have one on. The dad said, well we're still going to wear ours. I kind of rolled my eyes to myself and put it on. It wasn't crowded, outdoor mandate is over, I dont NEED to wear a mask outdoors, but felt the need to put it on when I had apparently influenced a 5 year old to take hers off.

The outdoor thing is stupid, at least where I live. We know better now, and I see those continuing to do it (save for some contact sports or crowded shoulder to shoulder type events, transit hubs, etc...) as mostly virtue signalling at this point (I dare say). Indoors we've done it for a year now, really is another couple of months gonna kill us? The light is at the end of the tunnel, why such a desire to fudge it up?

[msRB311]

Yeah...kind of curious WHY people feel the need to wear one outdoors in an uncrowded area at this point.

Last week we went for a walk and were the only ones in sight on the trail. We came up to couple with a dog, it wasnt like it was a narrow area, there was plenty of room to distance but as soon as the woman in the couple saw us she put her mask on. She was about 40, in good shape, etc. It was another eye-rolling moment for me. I would hate to still be that afraid of coming in contact with other humans.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Yeah...kind of curious WHY people feel the need to wear one outdoors in an uncrowded area at this point.

Last week we went for a walk and were the only ones in sight on the trail. We came up to couple with a dog, it wasnt like it was a narrow area, there was plenty of room to distance but as soon as the woman in the couple saw us she put her mask on. She was about 40, in good shape, etc. It was another eye-rolling moment for me. I would hate to still be that afraid of coming in contact with other humans.

That's just politeness from the sounds of it. If I'm on a narrowish trail in a busy state or national park I might still have one ready on hand (not knowing how those in the opposing direction's comfort level might be). But on the lightly used path near me that's has the width of a small road...no. Last week there I passed by a masked girl (probably gave her 12 feet around never mind 6 feet...), and she gave me a dirty look likely for not wearing one. That's just "out there" imo.

[msRB311]

Well no one else had on a mask except her and it was not narrow at all.

My brother was recently walking in Provincetown on rainy day and he and his friend were the only ones around. A guy came running out of a shop and said you need to put a mask on. My brother told him no. The guy then got angry and apparently swore at him.

I foresee more things like this happening in the future. At this point I don't think you really can tell someone to put on a mask when they are walking outside. Not sure what authority this guy thought he had to say anything. It's almost like someone smoking outside at this point and being bothered by it.

[BostonMike7]

I haven't worn one outside in a while. Granted, i don't go into crowded places. When walking around the neighborhood, or at a park well away from others I don't see the need. I've also walked down various streets to go into stores and tend to not put my mask on until before i walk inside the store. Not crowded, and I tend to stay away from others anyway. Nobody's said a word to me.


My employer sent out an email today stating that even with the loosening restrictions being rolled out by states, we will continue to stick with what has been in place since last year.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Well no one else had on a mask except her and it was not narrow at all.

My brother was recently walking in Provincetown on rainy day and he and his friend were the only ones around. A guy came running out of a shop and said you need to put a mask on. My brother told him no. The guy then got angry and apparently swore at him.

I foresee more things like this happening in the future. At this point I don't think you really can tell someone to put on a mask when they are walking outside. Not sure what authority this guy thought he had to say anything. It's almost like someone smoking outside at this point and being bothered by it.

Just saying I'm not going to criticize somebody for being overly considerate, it's likely just habit for her at this point. I'm fully vaccinated at this point but will still wear it in stores even if not required, simply because others don't "know" that I am vaccinated and low risk. It would be one thing if she demanded you put one on, but it's within her right to wear one or not. Her crazy or not, I wouldn't lose sleep over that.



Could Provincetown have a local ordinance mandating it? It's also possible the guy needs to get a life.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by massnative71

That is inaccurate. LOTS of people over 12 who intend to get it, but have yet to become fully vaccinated. LOTS.

If you mean fully vaccinated, that's entirely due to that they haven't gotten their second dose yet. The first dose is obviously the more important one.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Wow, I've seen a lot of hot takes in the "Coronavirus in Massachusetts" thread, but "suburbs have the cities to thank for trees" is a scorcher.

Not so much thank for trees but take a look at all the local employment in towns and show me what ones specifically have an actual full time forester or arborist.

It's nice that some have pride in trees and vegetation, I get it. But if there's no one paid on staff that actually looks at the health of them how do you know how well it is going? Worcester dealt with the Asian longhorn beetle 20 years ago. There are towns in mass that have dealt with Japanese Knotwood and hydrilla for decades. When we have natural disasters like hurricanes and winter storms we look at rebuilding houses and roads first but once you start going into the weeds (literally!) not all places have the budgets or time or energy to do actual vegetation management. You don't get an "out" by not building. I've met people that act like they have a parks department and instead it's just baseball fields (it isn't the same legally). Maybe back in the day civic groups like the boy scouts would have dealt with this but it isn't anywhere close. I know some communities that have town forests. That's all well and good but there's no organic land management routines, no watering, no feeding, no raking etc. It might as well be a highway island.

Right now I live in CT and there has been some Emerald Ash Borer's around. They literally strip off tree bark. Your urban areas have staff to look out for this but more suburban and rural do not.

https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/...-Ash-Borer-EAB
That picture of them poking out of the trees looks like scenes from the next Star Wars.

How bad is it? It's predicted every ash tree will be dead in the state by the end of the decade.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/...e-13613713.php

It could be argued that you take something seriously when you see less of it and you don't when you see more of it so it isn't that surprising that people in suburbs act as if the trees are OK without checking up on them.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I agree, why the sudden rush to be maskless indoors?

I have a suspicion that this is coming from Big Biz, who is freaking out over inflation and wants things back to normal ASAP, and getting rid of the mask mandate is part of that. I also think they want the unemployment extension discontinued right now rather than September although that's unlikely to happen.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

If you mean fully vaccinated, that's entirely due to that they haven't gotten their second dose yet. The first dose is obviously the more important one.

Where is your data showing there is nobody over 12 not waiting on even their 1st dose? For one, they JUST approved the 12-16 bracket. But there are still plenty over 18, still awaiting (for various reasons) last I checked.