At what point would you lock down again?

[AmandaVT]

No new regulations here, but I have seen an uptick in people masked in stores again. People just seemed to get comfortable not masking like 2 weeks ago and now we're back up to ~25% masked in stores. There haven't been any announcements but I'd bet that we'll be masked to start the school year too.

[KSera]

16 minutes ago, AmandaVT said:

No new regulations here, but I have seen an uptick in people masked in stores again. People just seemed to get comfortable not masking like 2 weeks ago and now we're back up to ~25% masked in stores. There haven't been any announcements but I'd bet that we'll be masked to start the school year too.

Same here. After super high masking rates, people rapidly dropped them over the past month. To the point I was frequently the only person with a mask in a store. Now I’m seeing more again. The interesting thing I noticed when I went to the store on Sunday, was that of the people wearing masks now, they are almost all wearing high-quality masks. Lots more N95s, KN95s, and KF94s. Seems like the people being conscientious about masking now are being conscientious about how they do it as well.

[Dmmetler]

I plan to continue the same precautions I used last fall in this coming semester, plus that I'm now vaccinated. I am really, really hoping to NOT have to go back to teaching just on zoom, but I just re-uped that for a year, too. 

[Not_a_Number]

I had a good experience at my hair salon, actually!! Everyone was masked, and the masks fit, and the stylists said they hadn’t had any COVID since reopening.

[mommyoffive]

Now dh is getting sent to Oklahoma for work.   I want to cry, scream, I don't even know.  We can't lock down anymore.  Even if the kids and I did nothing, dh can't anymore.  His work is requiring that they come back into the office too.  So again I just am knowing that we are going to get Covid.  Just sucks.

[melmichigan]

13 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Now dh is getting sent to Oklahoma for work.   I want to cry, scream, I don't even know.  We can't lock down anymore.  Even if the kids and I did nothing, dh can't anymore.  His work is requiring that they come back into the office too.  So again I just am knowing that we are going to get Covid.  Just sucks.

My husband has been working this entire time, and continues to do so. He can't just stop working because of my risk.  His company dropped their mask mandate and he is the only one masking.  I ordered KF94's for him that should arrive before he goes in on Thursday if not tomorrow.  We do what we can.

[Not_a_Number]

24 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Now dh is getting sent to Oklahoma for work.   I want to cry, scream, I don't even know.  We can't lock down anymore.  Even if the kids and I did nothing, dh can't anymore.  His work is requiring that they come back into the office too.  So again I just am knowing that we are going to get Covid.  Just sucks.

DH will have to teach as well. 

However, the fact that one can’t drive one’s chances to zero doesn’t mean that decreasing them is pointless.

[mlktwins]

I am glad summer swim team ends this weekend!  We mask in stores and out and about anyway, but I will be curtailing my running into the grocery store for a few items and get back to our full curbside pick-up orders.

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, mlktwins said:

I am glad summer swim team ends this weekend!  We mask in stores and out and about anyway, but I will be curtailing my running into the grocery store for a few items and get back to our full curbside pick-up orders.

Same. Well, we’ll get deliveries.

[ktgrok]

I had an office visit today (very 3 months for med checks) and was very surprised and very happy to see a sign on the office door saying that EVERYONE is required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, and if you are not wearing one you will be made to leave. 

that is the ONLY place I've seen anything like that. Everywhere else has big signs saying you don't have to mask if you are vaccinated (and of course no one actually checks).

My church sent out a notice reminding people that only vaccinated people can be maskless...but that was on the same day they sent another email about needing sunday school volunteers, and reminded people that kids can mask but don't have to. I don't understand how they don't get that ALL under 12 kids are unvaccinated, and therefore according to their own rules, should be masked!

Edited July 27, 2021 by ktgrok

[ktgrok]

My mom's friend just posted this - Jupiter is a city in northern Palm Beach County, Florida. Where I grew up - Jupiter and Juno were where the beaches were, so about 10-15 minutes from my house. 

"This is from a friend who works at Jupiter Medical ER. This is not media!, ...This delta variant is scarey. We had 27 or 28 positive covids in the ER yesterday between 7a and 7p. Several admitted with covid pneumonia. Patients are younger and younger. Even children. This, as I have said before, is no joke. It's the unvaccinated that are getting it bad. I think only 2 yesterday were vaccinated and positive. This is only the beginning of what could potentially be a very bad outcome for so many. Please people, get the vaccine! The healthcare community is exhausted. I would say, if you are in a setting, with lots of people, wear the damned mask! We have to wear it 12 hours a day at work! I think it wont kill you, but covid might."

[Roadrunner]

My DH has worked in public every single day of this pandemic. His job is what it is. He has been masking and being careful. Fingers crossed but we survived the worst of it, and we have a family member on cancer treatment here that we see regularly. So I am not as worried going forward. I really hope delta variant booster will be available in the Fall. We need it. 😞 

I would love to see the numbers how many in SF hospital were vaccinated with J&J versus other ones. 
 

@Not_a_NumberArw you seeing the same vaccine opposition among Russian emigres as I am seeing here?  I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s strong among my friends locally. 

[bibiche]

26 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I had an office visit today (very 3 months for med checks) and was very surprised and very happy to see a sign on the office door saying that EVERYONE is required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, and if you are not wearing one you will be made to leave. 

that is the ONLY place I've seen anything like that. Everywhere else has big signs saying you don't have to mask if you are vaccinated (and of course no one actually checks).

I thought federal law required masks in all healthcare facilities and all public transit…

[bibiche]

12 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

 

@Not_a_NumberArw you seeing the same vaccine opposition among Russian emigres as I am seeing here?  I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s strong among my friends locally. 

Not Not a Number, but I am in an area with a lot of Russians and know only one who is vaccinated. It stinks, because a number of them are friends and relatives so we don’t see them now. I’ve seen the same refusal of vaccines from nearly all the people I know from former Soviet and Eastern bloc countries as well. 😞 

[kbutton]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Now dh is getting sent to Oklahoma for work.   I want to cry, scream, I don't even know.  We can't lock down anymore.  Even if the kids and I did nothing, dh can't anymore.  His work is requiring that they come back into the office too.  So again I just am knowing that we are going to get Covid.  Just sucks.

Hang in there! Really good masks, not eating with people, etc. go a long way. DH has been frontline healthcare worker for most of this with N95s/eye protection for suspect patients, surgical masks for the rest, and self-provided masks when not in a patient room, and if he's been infected, he's been totally asymptomatic, and he didn't pass it to us. 

He was between jobs during our worst surge, but he went back while numbers were still pretty high. 

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

@Not_a_NumberArw you seeing the same vaccine opposition among Russian emigres as I am seeing here?  I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s strong among my friends locally. 

I'm honestly not talking to many Russian emigres right now. My vaccine holdout friend IS from the former USSR, though, for what that's worth, although that might not be the same thing -- I'm assuming that for lots of Russian emigres, it's part of the toxically conservative politics. (And that would be the reason I'm not talking to too many of them, lol -- my mom has a lot of friends who are in the NYC area, but I haven't particularly wanted to reach out since moving here.) 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[historically accurate]

2 hours ago, bibiche said:

I thought federal law required masks in all healthcare facilities and all public transit…

I don't know about that. I did take all of the kids to the dentist today. The two receptionists at the dentist weren't masked, but the dentists, assistants & hygienists were. One hygienist was double masked, and the other had mask+face shield.

[rebcoola]

Ugh My dad was contacted today apparently someone he worked with Thursday is positive.  My dad is vaxxed but is planning  to get tested tomorrow morning.  I was at his house Thursday evening with the toddler and than the whole family was there on Sunday for a short time to help with  a sprinkler problem. We are all vaxxed except the  little one so hopefully nothing comes of it.

[Laura Corin]

16 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Just took my kids to the Ortho and there was 0 rule about masking.  I was shocked and so uncomfortable.  I just really have accepted the fact that my kids are going to get covid and I HOPE that is after they get vaccinated.  But unless i don't take them for things they need.  I mean the dentist and doctor you had to have a mask.  

I'm sorry. I just got back from the GP. My initial consultation was by phone and I then went in for tests. Masking required, screen check in,  seats in the waiting room blocked to force 2 metre distancing.

[mlktwins]

17 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Just took my kids to the Ortho and there was 0 rule about masking.  I was shocked and so uncomfortable.  I just really have accepted the fact that my kids are going to get covid and I HOPE that is after they get vaccinated.  But unless i don't take them for things they need.  I mean the dentist and doctor you had to have a mask.  

We were at ours earlier this month and they were masking, but a little more lax about it than previous visits.  I was not super comfortable with that.  One of mine is probably done with Invaslign our next visit in mid-August.  The one in metal braces goes back Monday and then again in mid-August.  Hopefully getting them off by the end of August or early September.  Just want them done so we aren't going when Delta hits hard.  He is very motivated to wear his rubber bands to get them off quickly.

[mommyoffive]

My youngest who is 5 crawled into bed with us.  When she woke up she had tears in her eyes and asked me "Is this virus going to last forever?"  Just makes me so sad that that is on her heart and mind as soon as she opens her eyes from sleep.  

[Ditto]

9 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

My youngest who is 5 crawled into bed with us.  When she woke up she had tears in her eyes and asked me "Is this virus going to last forever?"  Just makes me so sad that that is on her heart and mind as soon as she opens her eyes from sleep.  

I feel awful for her.  I am over 50 years older than she is and I feel like it is going to last forever,  I can't imagine trying to process it at her tender age.

[mommyoffive]

Be angry. But do it with a mask on. Some FAQ answered... - by Katelyn Jetelina - Your Local Epidemiologist (substack.com)

[MEmama]

I’m not sure which COVID thread is the best place for this article but I think it does a good job explaining why masking is going to be essential again.

https://www.pressherald.com/2021/07/27/cdc-to-urge-vaccinated-people-to-wear-masks-indoors-as-delta-variant-spreads/

 

[happi duck]

We hardly "unlocked".  We were a week out from all of us being fully vaxxed when the CDC said vaxxed didn't need masks.  I never trusted that.  I've been catching up on medical stuff so that is our biggest exposure. 

If places require masks again we might venture out to an indoor museum but without masks required it's hard to feel that it's worth it especially knowing that vaxxed people can spread it.

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

My youngest who is 5 crawled into bed with us.  When she woke up she had tears in her eyes and asked me "Is this virus going to last forever?"  Just makes me so sad that that is on her heart and mind as soon as she opens her eyes from sleep.  

Aww, that's so sad 😞 . 

Do you know if there's anything specific she's upset about? 

[mommyoffive]

Masks, vaccines could stop COVID spike within 2 weeks, CDC director says (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

47 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Aww, that's so sad 😞 . 

Do you know if there's anything specific she's upset about? 

I don't think so.  She has asked that in the past, not a lot, but some.  And at different times we could give a  more positive answer.  Like when we were waiting on vaccines to come out and thought that would end this.  At the start she missed seeing her friends, now she doesn't even remember them.  They are all from ballet which we hadn't done in-person since 3-2020 Then it would be that she wanted to see family and missed them.  Last weekend she want to a ballet class/audition and it was her first time going to do a class that she used to do since March 2020.  She did ballet virtual since then.  After it was over she told me she wants to go back to that life.  I think it just hits her hard sometimes.  We try to do a lot of things to keep them happy and doing safer things over this 18 months.  But she still misses things that she had before or wants to do.  

[Not_a_Number]

3 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

I don't think so.  She has asked that in the past, not a lot, but some.  And at different times we could give a  more positive answer.  Like when we were waiting on vaccines to come out and thought that would end this.  At the start she missed seeing her friends, now she doesn't even remember them.  They are all from ballet which we hadn't done in-person since 3-2020 Then it would be that she wanted to see family and missed them.  Last weekend she want to a ballet class/audition and it was her first time going to do a class that she used to do since March 2020.  She did ballet virtual since then.  After it was over she told me she wants to go back to that life.  I think it just hits her hard sometimes.  We try to do a lot of things to keep them happy and doing safer things over this 18 months.  But she still misses things that she had before or wants to do.  

Ah, that makes sense 😞 . It's hard to be missing so much stuff. 

We were lucky that we could do a family pod for our kids that included their aunt and grandparents... it made the pandemic year seem different but not in an entirely bad way. 

[Toocrazy!!]

I wish I could lock down. In a way it was so much easier last year when everything shut down to just stay at home. I have long planned events these next two weekends that I’m going through with and dearly hope I don’t regret. DS is working full time, masked, but with young kids who aren’t great maskers. 
So, we have about three weeks of overly risky things going on that weren’t all that risky when we planned them just a month ago. 

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, Toocrazy!! said:

I wish I could lock down. In a way it was so much easier last year when everything shut down to just stay at home. I have long planned events these next two weekends that I’m going through with and dearly hope I don’t regret. DS is working full time, masked, but with young kids who aren’t great maskers. 
So, we have about three weeks of overly risky things going on that weren’t all that risky when we planned them just a month ago. 

We still have dentist's appointments. I think we'll also have one last babysitter outing. Then we'll be locked down aside from playgrounds. And I'm not totally sure about playgrounds. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Toocrazy!! said:

I wish I could lock down. In a way it was so much easier last year when everything shut down to just stay at home. I have long planned events these next two weekends that I’m going through with and dearly hope I don’t regret. DS is working full time, masked, but with young kids who aren’t great maskers. 
So, we have about three weeks of overly risky things going on that weren’t all that risky when we planned them just a month ago. 

Agree. I was just saying this to my dh.  I don't want to weigh everything.  It would be so much easier if things were not in my hands.   But we can't lock down as dh's work is making him travel and come into the office.  I have to take kids to the ortho.  One could wait, but she has already waited a year and a half.  We thought things would be better so we put it off.  But the other really can't wait and is risking losing some teeth if things don't get handled now.

And I agree things we thought were not that risky a month ago now are.  It just really sucks.

[Dmmetler]

What really gets me is that I have parents upset that I have stated that masks will be required in lessons this fall. Even some of the ones who were supportive of my continuing to require them this summer. They say their kids have "had enough". Uh, I'm just trying to keep the option of in person lessons available and keep my cannot be vaccinated students safe in an area which is dark red on the CDC map. In a state where the Governor has never had a mask mandate and has threatened local health departments who had them. 

 

 

[Not_a_Number]

8 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

What really gets me is that I have parents upset that I have stated that masks will be required in lessons this fall. Even some of the ones who were supportive of my continuing to require them this summer. They say their kids have "had enough". Uh, I'm just trying to keep the option of in person lessons available and keep my cannot be vaccinated students safe in an area which is dark red on the CDC map. In a state where the Governor has never had a mask mandate and has threatened local health departments who had them.

UGH. How annoying. Do you think it's political? 

[Spryte]

22 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

What really gets me is that I have parents upset that I have stated that masks will be required in lessons this fall. Even some of the ones who were supportive of my continuing to require them this summer. They say their kids have "had enough". Uh, I'm just trying to keep the option of in person lessons available and keep my cannot be vaccinated students safe in an area which is dark red on the CDC map. In a state where the Governor has never had a mask mandate and has threatened local health departments who had them. 

 

 

I hope you can stay strong and keep requiring masks.  Somehow I don’t think the virus will respond if you end up with Covid and decide on the third day that you’ve “had enough.” Protect yourself. 

Our school district voted to make masks optional and it’s up to the parents to decide for K - 12.  We have always homeschooled, but I feel for the parents of our kids’ friends.  
 

 

[rebcoola]

I am so happy our governor announced the mask mandate will stay for school  for everyone.  DH work is going back to masks for all to.  

[Dmmetler]

44 minutes ago, Spryte said:

I hope you can stay strong and keep requiring masks.  Somehow I don’t think the virus will respond if you end up with Covid and decide on the third day that you’ve “had enough.” Protect yourself. 

Our school district voted to make masks optional and it’s up to the parents to decide for K - 12.  We have always homeschooled, but I feel for the parents of our kids’ friends.  
 

 

It's not even so much protecting myself, but that only a small number of my students are over 12, and I know several who have medically fragile family members.  I just can't accept the idea that it's so hard to make their child wear a mask for a 30 minute lesson or 1 hour class in a cool classroom so that everyone, INCLUDING their child is protected, when their child masked for school and extracurriculars all last school year. The fact that the schools have chosen otherwise does not mean that it's safe. It means that they've caved to pressure. 

 

To me, it's not even a question. Under 12, can't be vaccinated,continue masking, distancing and generally try to keep exposure to a minimum. Delta is more contagious, so it makes no sense to take fewer precautions. I had hoped that by fall, vaccination uptake among adults might be good and spread dropped enough that it would be safe to make masking optional, and that vaccines might have a chance of being available for kids sooner rather than later. But none of that applies. Maybe by Spring.....

[SKL]

Glad we went to visit my folks this past weekend.  Looks like we're in for another ride.  It won't be nearly as bad as last winter, at least for us.  With my kids in high school, the populations they hang in can all be vaxed if they so choose.  But we will go back to staying away from more at-risk people for now.

[teachermom2834]

I don’t think we’ll go back to staying in like we were. I was dragging my feet about getting my 13 yo dd vaxxed because all the vulnerable people in our lives have been vaxxed as have dh, me, and our three adult sons. I still have some reservations about the vaccine for young people and a month ago numbers were so low we waited. 
 

But she got her first shot today. Once she is fully vaxxed we will mask where required/requested but we will proceed with our lives as normally as we can. It’s not that I don’t see any danger out there. I do. We will have just done all we can do and proceed the way we do with all the other risks we are exposed to on a regular basis just living our lives. 
 

We were never locked down like some of you were but we really had cut out almost all activities, church, social time. My dd had one small group activity, 18 yo Ds attended college in person a couple times a week and worked full time in a grocery store. So we certainly weren’t locked down. But we were passing on just about anything else and we were working hard to avoid anyone who could be vulnerable (whether they cared or not). We won’t be going back to that. 

[mlktwins]

2 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

What really gets me is that I have parents upset that I have stated that masks will be required in lessons this fall. Even some of the ones who were supportive of my continuing to require them this summer. They say their kids have "had enough". Uh, I'm just trying to keep the option of in person lessons available and keep my cannot be vaccinated students safe in an area which is dark red on the CDC map. In a state where the Governor has never had a mask mandate and has threatened local health departments who had them. 

 

 

The big county next to us (Fairfax County in VA) has just required all kids and staff (vaccinated or not) to wear masks in school at all times except for lunch, recess, and outside PE.  Our county has not issued anything regarding masks yet.  Our Governor is weighing what to do with the new CDC guidance recently issued.

I'm not sure what our in-person homeschool classes will do, but my guys will be wearing masks regardless.

[AmandaVT]

This was a nice article about Vermont's current status. I trust Dr. Levine - he's been calm and decisive throughout and has steered us well so far through the pandemic. 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/vermont-most-vaccinated-coronavirus-state/index.html

[whitestavern]

Not sure if this has been shared already, but it's a site that tracks the number of hospital beds in the US being used for Covid patients and number of ICU beds as well. 

https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, AmandaVT said:

This was a nice article about Vermont's current status. I trust Dr. Levine - he's been calm and decisive throughout and has steered us well so far through the pandemic. 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/vermont-most-vaccinated-coronavirus-state/index.html

I wish I lived in Vermont.

[Not_a_Number]

3 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

I don’t think we’ll go back to staying in like we were. I was dragging my feet about getting my 13 yo dd vaxxed because all the vulnerable people in our lives have been vaxxed as have dh, me, and our three adult sons. I still have some reservations about the vaccine for young people and a month ago numbers were so low we waited. 
 

But she got her first shot today. Once she is fully vaxxed we will mask where required/requested but we will proceed with our lives as normally as we can. It’s not that I don’t see any danger out there. I do. We will have just done all we can do and proceed the way we do with all the other risks we are exposed to on a regular basis just living our lives. 
 

We were never locked down like some of you were but we really had cut out almost all activities, church, social time. My dd had one small group activity, 18 yo Ds attended college in person a couple times a week and worked full time in a grocery store. So we certainly weren’t locked down. But we were passing on just about anything else and we were working hard to avoid anyone who could be vulnerable (whether they cared or not). We won’t be going back to that. 

Well, to be fair, a lot of us talking about locking down have young kids. I'm going to feel quite differently after we're all vaccinated. 

[Not_a_Number]

Then again, there's always the fact that it's possible vaccinated people get long COVID 😕 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/28/1021888033/breakthrough-infections-may-cause-long-covid-symptoms-small-study-suggests

[Not_a_Number]

That's it. I want my kids vaccinated and my booster now 😛. I'll take the darn booster like a good little girl, despite the fact that I did not react all that well to this vaccine. Because the reason I react badly to the vaccine is probably the same darn reason I'll wind up with persistent headaches from the virus and who knows what else... 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[ktgrok]

Yup, my son was saying actually a few days ago that he'd be first in line for a booster. Too late now, but yeah. 

[Not_a_Number]

Just now, ktgrok said:

Yup, my son was saying actually a few days ago that he'd be first in line for a booster. Too late now, but yeah. 

I guess he gets the natural booster 😕 . 

[Not_a_Number]

Yep, this is it. We're canceling our babysitters and going to sit this one out until the booster shots for us and the vaccines for the kids. No more indoor time with other people. 

I've planned this fall around online classes and outdoor playdates, anyway. So hopefully that'll be fine... 

[ktgrok]

14 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Yep, this is it. We're canceling our babysitters and going to sit this one out until the booster shots for us and the vaccines for the kids. No more indoor time with other people. 

I've planned this fall around online classes and outdoor playdates, anyway. So hopefully that'll be fine... 

Probably wise. My son likely caught it in NY - up near Lake George. He's thinking an arcade they went to is really the only likely place, as there were a lot of tourists and kids too young to be vaccinated