In an article by FOX 11, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that it’s ending its outdoor mask mandate on June 15. No longer do you have to wear masks when entering a business. And while the government will no longer force us outdoors, we should continue to wear masks.
Wearing a mask will serve as a reminder to those who haven’t been vaccinated, that they should get vaccinated as soon as possible. And it will protect those who can’t get vaccinated from those who can but still refuse to do so.
According to data provided by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, since we started vaccination, COVID hospitalizations have dropped. From a high of 200 back in January to just under 20 per day by the end of May.
The same data points out that several zip code areas around the cities are not getting vaccinated as quickly as the others. The worst two examples being 90805 at 42.4 percent and 90810 at 37.4, while the city average vaccination rate is 52 percent.
The city in a press release has stated that they need to focus more on, “Vaccine outreach and intervention in North, Central, and West Long Beach.”
In an article by the Long Beach Post, some of these areas are some of the poorest in the city. The article even goes on to state that one of the district’s vaccination rates are, “43% lower than the city as a whole.”
Some of the reasons people can’t get vaccines are due to time restraints with work, difficulty with scheduling, and fear of the side effects that can cause them to miss work. Their concerns are varied and valid and the city has made strides to address it by increasing access and providing incentives.
But all changes take time to implement, and the virus waits for no city.
With so many people still vulnerable it serves to remind those who aren’t vaccinated that they should, even if you’re vaccinated. By wearing a mask outside, around people, it will serve as a reminder that members of our community are still vulnerable. It serves as a reminder that our society isn’t back to normal yet.
It’s a rash move, to go back to the way things were before the pandemic. Before the masks, before the fear, before the government played such a large role in our daily lives through its mandates, closing businesses and streets across the city.
By ending the mask mandate, they are creating a facade. A false sense of security, and as the economy opens up the risk will increase. And while a second smaller wave won’t devastate our city like the first it will hurt those with the least ability to defend themselves financially.
Having to wear masks in the first place disrupted our lives, we went from breathing freely to doing so with a hint of fear. Worried about a virus that froze the world, that devastated families.
I want normalcy as much as anyone else, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of the most vulnerable.
If you can, if your work, friends or family aren’t hostile to you, you should continue to wear a mask in public even if you’re vaccinated.
Getting the last of our city vaccinated should remain on the minds of all of us, we are one large community with a varied peoples. All of which have very different circumstances and access to the vaccines.
After June 15, try to keep wearing your masks. It can still help prevent spreading the vaccine to the most vulnerable. And hopefully the storm will pass for all of us.