Is there still an indoor mask mandate in Maplewood?

Is there still an indoor mask mandate in Maplewood?    Seems like they are lifted pretty much everywhere in civilization now.   Unbelievable I saw parents outside at the park with their children, all wearing masks. 


Didn't Jamie tell you to cut this **** yesterday?


I didn't get a message - what is the issue?  


notupset said:

Unbelievable I saw parents outside at the park with their children, all wearing masks. 

The Jerk Store is fully stocked with people who rant about seeing someone else wearing a facemask.


I guess I heard so many people ranting about "science" that it strikes me as strange that some haven't gotten the word -  you don't need to wear a mask outside.   This isn't controversial 


Seriously  - Is there still a mask mandate for indoors in Maplewood?  If so, any idea when that might get fixed?  


notupset said:

Is there still an indoor mask mandate in Maplewood?    Seems like they are lifted pretty much everywhere in civilization now.   Unbelievable I saw parents outside at the park with their children, all wearing masks. 

Yes.  There is still an indoor mask mandate in Maplewood.  There is also a vaccine/recent negative test mandate for town sponsored indoor events; and for indoor events held in town-owned buildings where attendance is open to the public.


I'm expecting the township to rescind the mandate soon, but there may still be some businesses that ask us to mask, and I'll be fine with that.  A person working in a small shop in Maplewood is exposed to everyone who comes in, regardless of whether those people are vaccinated or not, boosted or not, or fully boosted and carrying an asymptomatic infection.  So if someone who owns a business would prefer customers to be masked it doesn't bother.

with regard to the science, the CDC still recommends masks for the unvaccinated, the elderly, the immunocompromised, and anyone else who has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness from COVID.  So if I see someone in a mask where it isn't required, I don't assume they are stupid or overly afraid.  I figure they have a risk factor of some sort.  As to why people wear masks outdoors, there are lots of reasons.  Personally, sometimes I leave it on if I'm going from one indoor location to another, like the wine shop to Greenway.  Sometimes I come out of a store with my hands full, so I take the mask off when I get to my car.  Or other times, I just plain forget I have it on.

People who are bothered by seeing others in masks are going to have to get used to it for a while longer.  The state still has over a 1,000 positive tests a day.  And I don't think we should expect people on immuno suppressors or with asthma to stay isolated forever.

My only concern about masks at this point is that I'd be very surprised if the ~20% of New Jerseyans who aren't vaccinated are going to abide by the honor system and wear masks indoors as recommended.  But what the heck, they'll mostly just infect each other at this point.


ml1 said:

I'm expecting the township to rescind the mandate soon, but there may still be some businesses that ask us to mask, and I'll be fine with that.  A person working in a small shop in Maplewood is exposed to everyone who comes in, regardless of whether those people are vaccinated or not, boosted or not, or fully boosted and carrying an asymptomatic infection.  So if someone who owns a business would prefer customers to be masked it doesn't bother.

with regard to the science, the CDC still recommends masks for the unvaccinated, the elderly, the immunocompromised, and anyone else who has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness from COVID.  So if I see someone in a mask where it isn't required, I don't assume they are stupid or overly afraid.  I figure they have a risk factor of some sort.  As to why people wear masks outdoors, there are lots of reasons.  Personally, sometimes I leave it on if I'm going from one indoor location to another, like the wine shop to Greenway.  Sometimes I come out of a store with my hands full, so I take the mask off when I get to my car.  Or other times, I just plain forget I have it on.

People who are bothered by seeing others in masks are going to have to get used to it for a while longer.  The state still has over a 1,000 positive tests a day.  And I don't think we should expect people on immuno suppressors or with asthma to stay isolated forever.

My only concern about masks at this point is that I'd be very surprised if the ~20% of New Jerseyans who aren't vaccinated are going to abide by the honor system and wear masks indoors as recommended.  But what the heck, they'll mostly just infect each other at this point.

I won’t be upset if they do infect each other.


Jaytee said:

I won’t be upset if they do infect each other.


PeterWick said:

Didn't Jamie tell you to cut this **** yesterday?

He's going to keep making new threads until Jamie lifts the mandate.  OP doesn't seem to have a good working understanding of how things work in life.  Might be a little slow.


You don't spread or get Covid hanging out in a park with your child.   It is a weird lesson to be teaching a child - There is no risk here, none at all, but we will act like there is.   


notupset said:

You don't spread or get Covid hanging out in a park with your child.   It is a weird lesson to be teaching a child - There is no risk here, none at all, but we will act like there is.   

You do know it's winter? Prior to Covid I would cover my face outside in winter with a neck gaiter or scarf. Now I find myself just leaving on my mask. Keeps my face warm outside without having to switch accessories.


notupset said:

You don't spread or get Covid hanging out in a park with your child.   It is a weird lesson to be teaching a child - There is no risk here, none at all, but we will act like there is.   

And just why do you care? Anyone wearing a mask is exercising their right to do so. They are NOT, in any way, affecting you, except in your silly attitude towards them. Give it a rest.


notupset said:

It is a weird lesson to be teaching a child - There is no risk here, none at all, but we will act like there is.

Your lesson — there is no skin off my back from some other person’s behavior, none at all, but I will act like there is — is a much better one.


I'm not going to judge what people do with their kids.  Kids up to the age of 5 or 6, sometimes even a couple of years older aren't all that rational.  If they don't get the difference between masking indoors and outdoors, an having them wear one outdoors is a way to make sure they wear one indoors, so be it.

especially if the kid has some sort of health risk.  Going forward, a lot of the people we see in masks are going to be ones with a health risk you or I can't see.  Someone could have just finished a round of chemo for all we know.  Or had a transplant in the past and takes immuno suppressing drugs.

one thing I've learned in my time on the planet is that we can never know what other people are carrying around.  People whose lives look perfect on the outside may be living with struggles we don't see or understand.  So if we see someone still masking up, we have a choice of our own to make regarding what we attribute it to.  I assume they have a health reason for doing so, rather than choosing to believe they're stupid or irrationally afraid.


Dennis_Seelbach said:

notupset said:

You don't spread or get Covid hanging out in a park with your child.   It is a weird lesson to be teaching a child - There is no risk here, none at all, but we will act like there is.   

And just why do you care? Anyone wearing a mask is exercising their right to do so. They are NOT, in any way, affecting you, except in your silly attitude towards them. Give it a rest.

This.  If you don't want to wear a mask outside, don't wear a mask.  It is absolutely NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS if others want to wear one.


So many problems in life can be easily solved by minding one's own business.


notupset said:

You don't spread or get Covid hanging out in a park with your child.   It is a weird lesson to be teaching a child - There is no risk here, none at all, but we will act like there is.   

Point to the spot on your body where the mean masked people in the park hurt you.


notupset said:

Is there still an indoor mask mandate in Maplewood?    Seems like they are lifted pretty much everywhere in civilization now.   Unbelievable I saw parents outside at the park with their children, all wearing masks. 

ACE, even without a mandate, its still an option.  And of course its possible to pick up covid outside when there is no crowd, its just a lower risk.


notupset said:

Is there still an indoor mask mandate in Maplewood?    Seems like they are lifted pretty much everywhere in civilization now.   Unbelievable I saw parents outside at the park with their children, all wearing masks. 

As you're out of isolation, may I be the first here to congratulate you on defeating COVID. Did they put you on monoclonal antibodies in the end?


Then there are the people who discovered that masking helped with some allergies, or discovered that they went two years without catching colds or the flu…

NOT TO MENTION the immune compromised who NEED to mask up in general in an abundance of caution…

Did all these people you’re complaining about actually tell you that they were only masking for COVID or are assuming…?


Seriously, this is from the guy who got COVID and raced about getting a monoclonal antibody treatment.  To hell with others getting infected because he couldn't be bothered to mask up.


Jaytee said:

I won’t be upset if they do infect each other.

I would be upset if they infect those under 5 years of age who are still unable to be vaccinated.  Ditto the elderly and immunocompromised who are at high risk for serious infection even if fully vaccinated (including one or more boosters).


Scully said:

Then there are the people who discovered that masking helped with some allergies, or discovered that they went two years without catching colds or the flu…

NOT TO MENTION the immune compromised who NEED to mask up in general in an abundance of caution…

Did all these people you’re complaining about actually tell you that they were only masking for COVID or are assuming…?

I have to admit, the idea of masking indoors during the winter months to avoid cold or flu isn't a bad idea.  As with most things, it's a risk/reward calculation.  Do I want to risk cold or flu by going to the grocery store without a mask?  Do I want to risk cold or flu by having dinner in a restaurant with friends?  Not necessarily the same answer to those questions.


Most viruses are spread through folks touching their hands to their faces. And most have the habit of doing so frequently. The mask mandate actually stopped that habit besides all the other preventative things it did. I managed to ride the subways for years without getting a cold, etc. due to getting out of the habit of touching my hands to my face ALL THE TIME except when I'm in my own home and I've just washed my hands.


wendy said:

Most viruses are spread through folks touching their hands to their faces. And most have the habit of doing so frequently. The mask mandate actually stopped that habit besides all the other preventative things it did. I managed to ride the subways for years without getting a cold, etc. due to getting out of the habit of touching my hands to my face ALL THE TIME except when I'm in my own home and I've just washed my hands.

I used to commute two hours each way to work and avoided getting sick by never touching a surface with my hands. However, there were the germ factories that would get on the train with their coughing and hacking. Then it was a matter of moving or just dealing with it. Masks would have been so much easier...


if a store wants me to be masked-I will.  I may anyway

but i dont wear one outdoors any longer



oots said:

if a store wants me to be masked-I will.  I may anyway


Exactly.  And I will never criticize those who mask up.


In order to add a comment – you must Join this community – Click here to do so.