It has been in CA for quite some time. I am out and about everywhere and have been for months. I am glad I am in CA as opposed to a place like Idaho where their health care is broken because of the approach of government and the choices the public made. Wearing a mask in a restaurant or bar really isn't a thing since most all people take them off after entering and only wear them I guess to go to the restrooms. The bar I was jut in Friday night everybody was drinking and not wearing masks. I also really don't think it is the worse thing in the world to wear a mask when I am in a grocery shopping or in a retail store. It is hardly an imposition on my daily life and my freedom to wear one briefly in certain locations. That said I would be cool if the wearing mask thing were to go away.

Not all of California is virtuous, for example there was no mask mandate here while the county was getting smashed by Delta. As soon as all the old people got vaccinated...that was it. Thankfully the Bay Area took patients for us!

Yeah, funny how things going real south in these non virtuous parts of the country and then these non virtuous people get sick and end up in these hospitals in those terrible liberal cities.

Can you walk up to the bar to order and stand around the bar now, or do you still need to be seated and order at your table? The latter isn’t real life.

As for wearing one in grocery or retail stores - I mean, sure, it’s not a big deal, but it’s pretty pointless at this point. We are at a stage where nothing is going to change, if you’re vaccinated you are not at risk (and are very unlikely to infect others), and really we just need all the anti-vaxxers to get Covid.

Such miserable. Much basement.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2400d46a_b.jpg

COVID will not end with the sound of a door slamming shut.

It will end with a whimper, as people just gradually come to terms with its ever-presence.....

Slowly but surely it's happening. Even with Delta, vaccinated people are by and large still living mostly normal lives. Sure there is masking, but people are still living their lives, traveling, etc.

Most of the public is just not that worried about COVID any more, despite the media hysteria about hospitals in certain areas of the country filling up. Those of us in health care chuckle because we know that many hospitals operate near capacity anyhow, just to be profitable. But good luck explaining this fact to a rather clueless public who are easily swayed by CNN and the Today Show.

Anyhow, at least where I live vaccination rates are high and most people are politely doing the mask theater thing.....but sort of still taking them off. And I'm not just talking about Libertyville. I'm talking about the religious temple that I go to where lots of folks "forget" to put their mask back on after eating. I'm talking about the hotel in downtown Chicago we stayed at last weekend, where in the Lobby several people weren't wearing masks. Slowly but surely the fear around this virus is fading away.

I don't think the article intended to say 75% were wearing masks OUTSIDE but rather when and where the CDC has recommended. Nevertheless, in downtown San Francisco I do see an awful lot of people wearing them outside--more than I can rationally explain. I frequently feel like asking them why they are wearing a mask just to see what they say but never have done that. My guess is I'd get an answer like yours: Going from here where I need it to there where I need it and it was easier to wear than take it off (personally, that's almost never the case for me--I just pull mine off and shove it in my pocket).

Those who for some reason feel really burdened by wearing a mask for literally minutes a day will always gaslight things such as this.

Brazilian president, in New York for the opening of UN session (Brazilian presidents traditionally the first to speak), is eating street food as he's been denied admission on city restaurants for not being vaccinated (maybe he was and is lying, we can't tell).

It's really a dystopian nightmare to have this imbecile elected. Elections next year, let's hope he will be evicted.

He better be careful eating American "street food" = "Montezuma's revenge"

Vaccine passports come into effect in Ontario tomorrow. Actually, calling them vaccine passports is pretty generous. We're basically showing the receipt of our second dose plus a piece of photo ID to get into restaurants, gyms, and concerts. I was at the gym this morning and basically took 20 seconds to register myself so that when I scan my tag their system recognizes me as vaxxed and I dont have to go through the process every day.

Realistically, I think these are pretty easy to fake if someone was really inclined. The main goal was mostly just to motivate higher vaccine uptake, which it did somewhat upon the announcement a few weeks ago. The province is at 75% of the total population with a first dose. Our cases have been remarkably steady since we moved to our current stage of reopening in early July. No capacity limits at restaurants as long as tables are 6 feet apart. 25% capacity at nightblubs/bars where people are standing (I've been to more than a few places that are pushing this closer to 75%). With establishments now checking for vaccination I don't see why we can't increase capacity at bars, Blue Jays games (hopefully playoffs...), concerts, etc. and see if we remain in a manageable range of cases and more importantly, hospitalizations.

https://i.imgur.com/fo8sGQD.png

It's interesting how different places have different policies...

Getting into the UK was a pain:
1 - Rapid test before getting on the plane
2 - Book day-2 test and pay for said test before getting on plane
3 - Upload photo of CDC vax card, pre-departure test results, and reference number for booked day-2 test to an app British Airways recognizes that allows you to simply scan and move onto regular security.

But..... Virtually no masks (aside from sometimes on the Tube) once I got into London. What was even funnier is it was my first time to the UK, and the process of getting off the airplane and out the door for Americans was easier than the covid pre-reqs.

Going to Paris on Oct 1.....
No testing requirements.
But.... Had to get a QR health pass code from the French Gov't (FYI* - You can get this online before you depart - There's a site you can fill out a form and it's actually pretty fast and easy - You get a code in 30 minutes).
However, Sounds like you need to scan that code everywhere you go in France.

Very interesting to experience these different approaches.

The local media has been focusing on him due to his stating publicly that he is not vaccinated. Since our new mandatory vaccination rules just went into effect, the media will be following him everywhere to see if he breaks the rules.

You can. Since June.

Even if he does, not sure what the city can really do about it. He's a head of state and with it all the diplomatic immunity and heavy security that comes with his status.

The penalty is levied against the establishment. So if he's seen eating indoors that would mean the restaurant didn't properly confirm his vaccination status and could be fined.

please keep the discussion in this thread focused on how covid is affecting life in your city.

if you want to debate variant virulence or vaccine efficacy or other such tangential covid topics, please take it to the general covid thread in CE.

I needed to go to the Union Square area a couple of times recently and I was really surprised at the crowds. It seemed busier to me than I remember it being before covid: Times Square in the before-days busy. The Apple Store and Williams Sonoma were crowded. Macy's less so (but department stores just aren't where it's at lately).

I'm also seeing lots of those red double decker tourist busses these days with at least the upper open air level full of people.

time to start writing some reviews...

That restaurant is setting itself up to get sued.