I feel like everybody is really focusing this discussion just on the mask mandates though. And im west coast so obviously we have a lot more restrictions than other places in general. Which, obviously masks are also the most visible thing, but I don’t think that those are the only mandates that people are talking about? I know like when my brother discusses repealing mandates, he doesn’t care as much about the masks, it’s the changes to spacing for his employees for manufacturing, having to split shifts, the trade show limitations, the restaurant occupancy changes, stuff like that. I do think if we’re only centering the discussion around masks, we’re as fixated on the single political indicator as the conservatives who oppose them are. 
We need to look holistically at all of the restrictions we have in place right now, and which ones are disrupting life and economics to what degree, relative to their benefit to individuals and their safety. In the case of my brothers shop, we’re talking about him having to split shifts even though he only has eight main employees, who are all young and fully vaccinated, and it actually is incredibly good circulation because it’s a warehouse, but the equipment is all in one concentrated area. I can see how that would be frustrating to him- being a small business who after all this time might go under because it cuts into profits so much to have to split shifts like this, two years in, when there’s absolutely no one in his shop benefiting.
I feel this way too - for myself. I get that others have sensory issues regarding mask wearing. Or auditory processing issues which makes it hard to understand speech if you can’t see lips moving. So I try and keep that in mind. Even though sometimes it’s hard for me to not go to “it’s a fucking face cover and that’s IT, get over yourself!”
Interesting perspective! It seems vaccine mandates are the thing that a lot of people are focused on, but there’s quite a lot of other burdens from the small business side.
Even just the constant stress of people being out with covid positives and having to rearrange staff schedules all the time is very much wearing on the rink management.
Yeah that’s the other thing, he just had to work 36 hours straight to get a job done last weekend because every single employee that knew how to run one of the specialized pieces of equipment was in quarantine. And so he had to just go and do it himself. I don’t think that’s as much related to the mandates though, other than maybe there would’ve been one person who was asymptomatic, I’m not sure. And I suppose a symptoms based approach would’ve allowed that person to work.
I don’t know, I just feel like we’re at a point where everybody on the conservative side says that nothing should be in place at all anymore, ever, under any circumstances, but everybody on the liberal side that I know is digging in their heels and doesn’t think anything should be removed, seemingly ever. Obviously somethings Gotta give on both those stances. And obviously that’s reductionist, because the people with the most simplistic views tend to be the loudest. 
but it’s definitely got me looking back and forth and kinda being like… well what’s the plan then? What would a real, public health informed approach look like? (And public health too in the sense that medical access and hospital staffing are pretty critical to people‘s well-being, as is access to social services.) I don’t have answers, it just seems like a hell of a tangle that nobody is actually proposing anything on other than “drop it” or “keep it.”
This is soooo well put, thank you B_J.
Yeah, like, Chicago is discussing removing the proof of vaxx requirement for restaurants and bars. I assume because businesses find it cumbersome to find staff to check them at the door (especially if staff is out with positive tests), and because it drives away business.
as i’ve said a few times, upping ventilation standards and tracking/supporting businesses’ ability to institute them would be a major step forward. i don’t see a lot of people talking about that but is probably one of the best things we could do, since it actually solves the problem (covid in air) without being mere theater (like making people wear masks until they sit down at their table at a restaurant). not to mention steps like these would support workers having clean air to breathe beyond covid.
Why the US needs vaccine QR passports 
. A lot of the frustrations with existing safety measures could be eliminated while also using efficient, common sense, less frictiony safety measures. But it feels like every level of govt in the US has completely thrown up their hands and now even high covid conscientiousness groups are leaning into exasperation with this either/or feeling.
I think part of the problem here is what a massive cost burden it is. Who does that fall on?
ETA and agreed, not something I see people discussing at ALL though
That’s a nice thought but even pre-pandemic schools in my state had issues with mold or nonfunctional a/c systems in August with +90F temperatures and windows that don’t open. On the private side I’ve seen progressive companies making sure their new buildings are LEED certified but there’s a ton of buildings out there that are decades old and I have no idea how that can be fixed. The US already can’t keep up with our failing bridge infrastructure and that’s been a known problem for decades because the bridges were only expected to last so long when they were originally built.
I think that feels so overwhelming that everyone immediately gives up on the idea and we get focused on masks/shots, but that reminds me of environmental issues and making everyone fret over recycling and ignoring major corporations doing whatever they want with minimal oversight.
Schools in our area are still trying to upgrade to have air conditioning (they have to release early when the temperature gets too high) …advanced ventilation systems is just so out of the question.
Very true, schools in my area have lead in the water pipes. If no one can be assed to fund that…
This was a huge thing when I worked for a school district in the SF Bay Area: they didn’t need a/c when the schools were built in the 60s, but due to climate change they really need it now. A big reason they can’t afford it is that the older, established homeowners in CA pay such low property taxes… and they also won’t act on climate change beyond symbolic changes. We’re not in a failing society it’s fine lol
Edit to keep myself on topic: Let alone adding high-quality ventilation systems, which yes agree are very important, for COVID and also for wildfires and general air quality.
it’s almost like … our country doesn’t give much of a crap about the people who live in it, so long as they are going to work 
In my state the education department has distributed 50,000 air purifiers to schools and installed them. Prior to that they did a wide ranging ventilation audits. Not a perfect solution by any means, eg close range contact but it should help to reduce the transmission risk.
Meanwhile my gym is all about the hand sanitiser and wiping down equipment!
lol yes that bridge that collapsed in pittsburgh is like 1 mile from my house. our infrastructure in the eastern part of the country is super old (don’t even get me started about how our rain overflow sewers are connected to the poop sewer so the rivers get poopy every time it rains) and the infrastructure out west was built for a climate that no longer exists, so … i guess i’m staying my ass at home for a while longer.
Regarding thousands of people still dying each day -
We have an effective treatment to stop most of those deaths. It’s vaccinations. Most (but not all) of the dying are people who choose not too get the vaccine.
These folks don’t get a lot of sympathy from me.
This disease has raged despite our lockdowns, masks, etc. I wish we had more effective tools and that people would use the tools we have. I too would like an effective, well-thought-out and cost-effective public health policy but I think it’s too late to contain this virus.
Dart guns with vaccines and a $50 bounty. What could go wrong (and I mean, would it really be worse?)
I like the way you think!
I suppose one cynical public health argument for reducing mandates is that every time we have, vaccine uptake has increased? And vaccines really are the best option we have.
It’s also worth bearing in mind when we drop restrictions doesn’t have to be directly tied temporally to hospitalizations and deaths since it’s a lagging indicator- when you have an indication of a rapid fall of cases, I could see the argument to scale back, knowing that there’s a 2-4 week lag. Just a point worth noting on “they’re dropping x when hospitalizations are y”- health departments might not be quite as insane to do that as it seems on the surface I suppose?