Today, June 15, we celebrate a big day in California: COVID-19 restrictions are lifted for vaccinated citizens who can now shed their masks in most situations!
There is no way we could be entering this new chapter towards ending the pandemic without those who stepped up to the plate and got their shots to protect one another from spread of the virus. But the unvaccinated must continue wearing masks especially because a highly contagious variant – called Delta -- is now dominant in California. Experts say it is extremely likely to require hospitalization for someone who becomes infected with the variant.
But for those who are fully vaxxed, said Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at UC San Francisco, “I wouldn’t be too worried, especially if you are in a highly vaxxed region. If you’re not vaccinated: I’d be afraid. Maybe even very afraid.”
Even though my family is fully vaccinated, our supply of grab-and-go masks won’t be stashed away just yet. We will have them handy in the event we are indoors with others who are unvaccinated or unmasked. Better safe than sorry, the saying goes.
Mask chains that we purchased from Metria Design were the best COVID investment we made early in the pandemic. Designed to be an attractive accessory, masks easily attach to each end of the chain. They simply hang from our necks until we need to use them. No more losing masks or stuffing them in pockets or purses. (They convert to great eyeglass holders, too!)
Reopening is truly cause for celebration. But more than ever, we still need to be diligent if we want to “fully” recover from the pandemic. If we’re not, by this coming fall, we could be back where we were in March 2020.
Let’s not go there!