With outdoor mask rules gone, what now?
Some people still wear coverings for various reasons.
Gov. Charlie Baker lifted the outdoor mask mandate last week, but all it takes is a stroll through Boston’s Public Garden to see that many people aren’t ready to ditch their pandemic protectors — even outside.
With much of the state getting at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and the temperatures climbing, what’s keeping them from going bare-faced?
“I suppose I want to stay on the safe side,” said Newton resident Harry Stanger.
Stanger received his first shot a few weeks ago and said he’ll continue to wear masks at least until he’s reached strong immunity after his second shot, which experts say can take two weeks.
For other people, the calculation comes down to what they say the people around them are doing.
“It’s almost like we feel guilty, not wearing a mask, because we see everybody wearing masks,” said Susan Lelah, who was visiting Boston from New Jersey Monday.
Lelah and her husband said they were a little surprised by the amount of people who chose to wear masks outside around Boston, especially since the governor and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have lifted their own outdoor mask recommendations. The couple received both shots before their trip.
The CDC relaxed its mask guidelines last week: vaccinated and unvaccinated people can walk, run or bike outdoors without a mask. They can even attend small outdoor gatherings without masks, although the guidelines recommend unvaccinated people wear a mask when congregating with other unvaccinated people. The only outdoor activity the CDC recommends fully vaccinated people wearing masks for is large gatherings like concerts, which aren’t yet available in Massachusetts.
Baker lifted the restriction, except in cases where socially distancing is impossible.
But the Lelahs weren’t the only ones who said they felt some social pressure to continue to wear their masks.
“Only when I see a bunch of people, walking around, seeing them wearing it, will I pull mine up,” said Lynn resident Julie Griffin. “I don’t feel like I need to wear it, but I’ll do it to make other people feel comfortable,” she said.
To add to confusion, the town of Brookline pushed back against Baker and the CDC, continuing its own outdoor mask mandates.
“Our face covering requirement has served as a protective layer that limits the possibility of spreading COVID-19 and we are reluctant to relax it at this time without further public input and review by the Advisory Council on Public Health,” Brookline Health Commissioner Swannie Jett said in a statement.
Stanger said at this point in the pandemic, outdoor masks are a personal choice.
“To each his own. You want to wear a mask? Wear a mask. You don’t want to wear a mask? Don’t,” he said.