We went to multiple bars and restaurants this weekend. None of them were enforcing masks. The staff at St Rochs and Paddy O’Beers were wearing them, but none of the others. As vaccinated people, I don’t care and enjoy it, but I do worry that this could cause another spike.
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It is going to be interesting indeed to see what happens. Is there still enough unbroken chain of potential hosts for the disease to spread? We’ll soon learn, won’t we? Or, have enough people been vaccinated in addition to those who are carrying temporary natural antibodies?
Wake County and the Triangle have been doing a ton better than the rest of the state when it comes to vaccinated adults, and there are certainly enough vaccinated adults in Wake County to fill up nearly every bar and restaurant in the city, but how many unvaccinated folks are among them? We just don’t know.
According to this morning’s NYT coronavirus coverage, 54% of all Wake County adults over age 18 have been fully vaccinated. If you couple that with a presumed 8-10% of residents possibly carrying natural antibodies for now, you are over 60%. That’s pretty good, but it still leaves rooms for spread. I think that we will have a spike over the next month, but it can’t possibly look like the spike we had in the Winter when nearly nobody was vaccinated.
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I went to Yard House for the first time on Friday. Most of the people appeared to be wearing masks when going into restaurants in NH on Friday. I’ve normally avoided Yard House but it wasn’t bad.
I’m sure the amount of people wearing masks will dwindle down. Also went to the Chapel Hill planetarium and they are still requiring masks. Most people at the Harris Teeter on Edwards Mill yesterday were wearing masks except for 1 person.
I’m interested to see what the case outlook will be. Unfortunately I don’t think it will tell the full story as I don’t there will be as many tests administered as last year.
Costco has a sign that says those that have a vaccine don’t have to wear a mask. I’d say 1 in 5 people were not wearing a mask.
There’s going to be people who wear a mask in public quite possibly the rest of their lives. The relaxed mask policies are so new I think it will take some time for a lot of people to return to normal. But at least a lot of this hygiene theater that it feels like we’ve been participating in can come to an end.
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I’ll be wearing a mask until my kids are fully vaccinated. Haven’t been successfully avoiding Covid for over a year, just to let our guard down here towards the end. I have no problem with fully vaxxed people not wearing a mask, but the problem is that it’s impossible to know who is actually vaxxed and who is not. And unfortunately, I have learned over the past year that a lot of fellow citizens couldn’t give a rats ass about public health and the health of their neighbors. I suspect there are more then a few folks going around without masks now that are not vaxxed.
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I think that one needs to assume that everyone that’s not wearing a mask is also not vaccinated. While that’s clearly not going to be the case, it’s the only truly safe way to manage through this period, especially while your kids are not yet vaccinated, and while we continue to have the anti-vax theater persisting.
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I’m curious how long people/businesses will continue to sanitize all surfaces etc… now that every health organization has said that there’s little to no risk of transmission via surfaces.
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Is it just me, or is the basic failed restaurant space solution always an “event space?” How many “events” are there really going on in these places? It seems like a steady stream of restaurant customers would be able to help pay the rent than the random odd wedding or baby shower?
Maybe I’m just grouchy because I miss Jose and Sons 
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I don’t get the event space “space” either. I guess there’s business to support it.
Low overhead I would think. I mean, when I think about an event, the person renting the space ends up providing all the caterers, music, decorators, etc. The venue just sits back and let’s them do there thing and collects the fee. How many people does it take to run it? I would guess very low.
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I believe it could very well be profitable. Weddings, corporate events, etc. I’m not sure what differences event venues have but at hotels (I’m not sure if all), catering must be done via the hotel. I’m also not sure how often the event venues may have contracts with AV companies, decoration, staging/seating, DJs, outside caterers, etc. I’m sure any rentals from “in house” companies pay a fee to the event venue as well. Only problem is unless you take part of the event, the venue itself is boring.
You can just stop wearing it. What’s the worst that can happen? They ask you to put on a mask? I haven’t worn one at all since Cooper made the announcement.
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If a business has a sign saying to wear a mask, I will wear one. It’s their business, and I’ll follow their rules. Just like I don’t bring 30 items to the express checkout. If they don’t have a sign saying to wear one, I won’t because I’m vaccinated. Simple as that to me. I expect most businesses will relax their rules shortly; this was just all very sudden for a lot of places to figure out what makes sense for them.
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Have you been to the new (old) spot 'out in the Valley ’ that they moved Jose and Sons to ?
I’m following the same rule Jeff.
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I haven’t. Once you move out of downtown, you’re dead to me! (Kidding, I kind of lost track of them once they moved, though.) Maybe I will. @GucciLittlePenguin requires Mexican food frequently.
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I agree. The old city market building is a complete waste of what could be a cool restaurant again.
It has a large outdoor seating area which is a significant feature during these times.
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The Fitness Connection gym doesn’t require masks anymore, nor does my hair salon. Starbucks and Publix don’t require if you’re vaccinated as well. Great to see.
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