Over the weekend, LA County put their mask mandate back. It’s been about a month since the mandate ended and things were looking much better as far as daily cases go. So many people were getting vaccinated and I was celebrating each time I heard of a friend getting an appointment for a vaccine. When I set up my vaccine appointment earlier this year, I had heard so many stories of friends trying for so long to finally get through to a person. So I was so grateful when I was vaccinated and it seemed like we were getting closer and closer to all eligible people being vaccinated.
I knew that kids still weren’t able to get the vaccine, but at least with all people over the age of 12 being protected, things should have been getting better. And they were for so long. When things returned to normal, I was so hopeful about the world starting to return to normal. The end of the mandate last month didn’t change too much for me, but it did allow me to feel like things were better and I stopped stressing out as much as I had before.
But shortly after the mandate ended, daily cases started to increase. I knew this could happen, but I don’t think anybody expected it to happen the same way it did. We went from having under 200 cases a day to over 1,000 cases a day within about a week. And even though 99% of the new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were from unvaccinated people; things were looking a bit out of control. And if it was only unvaccinated adults who made the choice to not be vaccinated, maybe it would seem different. But children have no choice and cannot be vaccinated and things were getting more dangerous for them. So even though I think everyone didn’t want to have to wear masks again in all situations, I understand why they put the mandate back. We need to stop this surge before it gets worse.
It’s frustrating and upsetting to see things get worse, but I’m grateful that they took action quickly and hopefully the surge won’t get much better. And maybe this will motivate more eligible people to be vaccinated. I know not every state is going to have the same push that CA might have, but things have been so patchwork for so long and I don’t know if there could be a way to hope for some policies to be nationwide.
I don’t hate wearing a mask, but I don’t love it either. I have had multiple panic attacks while wearing a mask. None of the attacks have been horrible, but they are never fun to deal with. It’s not about having something on my face necessarily, but more of a constant reminder of the state of the world. It’s why I have mainly been doing online and delivery shopping, even for groceries. But I understand why they are necessary and how they help. And I feel like I will wear a mask during cold and flu season in the future to protect myself. And compared to the sacrifices so many others have to make to be safe, wearing a simple mask is a small thing to do.
Even when the mask mandate ended, I still wore a mask in almost all public places. There were signs at the grocery store that fully vaccinated people didn’t have to, but I did since they didn’t ask for proof and I felt it was something respectful I could do for the employees. I’ve only been to restaurants a few times since the pandemic hit, and I would wear my mask unless I was eating or drinking. But I haven’t gone to a lot of shops or out to many public things like movies. So even though I didn’t change too much when the mandate ended, it still felt like a step forward. I’m trying to not look at the mandate coming back as a step back, but it’s hard not to be a bit pessimistic about it.
Hopefully, the cases will drop again soon and more people will be vaccinated so we can end this mandate and not take a step back again. We are so close to being over the pandemic and we can’t give up so close to the finish line. And until we are done, I will be doing what I can to keep myself safe as well as others. I just hope that more people feel the same way and get vaccinated soon.
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