Compulsory Masks in May 2021?

[Zooey72]

I don't want to get into a mask debate, but I would like to know if they are going to require masks in Mid-May. I will not wear a mask under any circumstance, so I need to know if I need to cancel my cruise. Also, my cruise is a European cruise that will hit Spain, France, and Italy... is there going to be different mask laws dependent on which country you are disembarking at?

I don't mind them stating "We strongly urge you to wear a mask", to which I will say "No thank you", but mandatory mask wearing I will not conform to under any situation in regards to COVID.

 

[starvenger]

I'm going to guess that masks will be in effect for the majority of 2021.

 

[Denise W]

They have not announced any rules for then, as they haven’t even announced when they will begin cruising again. But if you refuse to wear a mask I would not plan on cruising for a long while.
Denise

 

[Zooey72]

They told me that I can cancel up to the month before and not get charged anything, so I guess I will wait until than. Hard to say what they will do, since many people feel the way I do or on the other side of the equation are too paranoid to go because of COVID. They are hurting like never before because of it, so if left to their own decision making they may not make it mandatory. Also the vaccine should be widely distributed by then which I am sure will influence.

Ultimately not a really big deal one way or the other. If they enforce it I will practice economic distancing from them and spend my vacation elsewhere. Just sucks to find/plan a vacation in one month.

 

[starvenger]

To expand on my comment, my thought is that if there is a mask policy it will be mandatory when you're moving around, or sitting at the casino, but not while sunbathing or swimming or eating or in your room.

To your point about people feeing the way you do, I am certain that there are a large number of cruisers that feel that way. But there were probably a large number of people that didn't like that smoking was reduced to but a few areas on board.

It's a different situation, for sure, but my point is that people got used to that "new normal" on ships, and adapted to it, and I think the same will happen with masks.

With that said, I really look forward to the day when we can walk around mask free again.

 

[John VN]

For DW and I there is no peer pressure that governs our life but instead it is our health AND the health of other's that makes us comfortable wearing our mask.

 

[buzzrelly]

My guess is that masks will still be required in May so you may as well start researching your new vacation now.

 

[DCJ]

 

[Frozen2014]

No one knows but my guess is yes....until all groups can receive the vaccine (i.e. front line workers, those at risk, elder group, and general public) and they see everything is more in control, masks will be required. You can hold onto your cruise until final payment and then decide. But most likely, I see masks required for any cruises next year.

 

[starvenger]

Let's try to keep it on topic folks. Lot's of opinions on masks but it's best discussed in the community board, I think.

 

[starvenger]

A good point. It's hard to say how that will affect things since we obviously don't have the vaccines being distributed yet. So we'll probably need to have this play out a bit more.

 

[John VN]

I don't blame you for wanting to wear one, but at least 1/2 of that equation (protecting yourself) has been proven false as of the latest study:

https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-6817
The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers ...............

https://news.yahoo.com/confused-masks-heres-scientists-know-151323729.html


Confused About Masks? Here's What Scientists Know

Apoorva Mandavilli
Sat, November 21, 2020, 10:13 AM EST·9 min read


With the coronavirus on the march through much of the United States, scientists are urging Americans to adopt the few health measures shown to slow the virus: universal mask use, social distancing, good ventilation indoors and hand hygiene.......................

......................“The more people who wear a mask, the more the community is protected and therefore the more you individually benefit,” said Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 response program. “It’s like a herd effect.” .............

could it be that only --- "..........the SHADOW knows......."

 

[John VN]

Ok, your link is great, but this is still the opinion of "some guy". ....................

r.e. -- bold

" ...said Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 response program... "

guess politicians no better

https://www.yahoo.com/news/face-mask-trial-didnt-stop-140030352.html
" ...People with active infections are most contagious in the first few days after exposure, often before they develop symptoms. That’s why the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health authorities say it’s important to wear a mask whenever you’re in close contact with people from other households, even if you don’t feel sick.
Widespread mask use is credited with keeping the COVID-19 death toll in the double digits in places such as New Zealand (25 deaths to date), Singapore (28 deaths) and Vietnam (35 deaths). In Taiwan, where officials ramped up mask production just a few weeks after the WHO announced the existence of the novel coronavirus, only seven people have died of COVID-19.
“Use of face masks has emerged as a powerful tool to reduce the health and economic harms of the pandemic,” Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former CDC director who now leads the nonprofit health initiative Resolve to Save Lives, and his colleague Dr. Shama Cash-Goldwasser wrote in a commentary that accompanied the study... "

 

[Ronaldo17]

I don't want to get into a mask debate, but I would like to know if they are going to require masks in Mid-May. I will not wear a mask under any circumstance, so I need to know if I need to cancel my cruise. Also, my cruise is a European cruise that will hit Spain, France, and Italy... is there going to be different mask laws dependent on which country you are disembarking at?

I don't mind them stating "We strongly urge you to wear a mask", to which I will say "No thank you", but mandatory mask wearing I will not conform to under any situation in regards to COVID

Masks are mandatory in Spain, France and Italy at present and I can't see that changing much by May 2021. Most countries in Europe are still in some form of lockdown until mid December at the earliest.

 

[DCJ]

You said you were a healthcare worker?

 

[disneydentist]

You said you were a healthcare worker?

Scary thought isn't it?

 

[ScooterScott44]

Mods, please lock this thread. The OP seems to have an agenda about arguing about masks. As they cherry pick data and statistics, it is not creating a healthy debate but pushing their own agenda.

As a healthcare worker with degrees in the hard sciences and healthcare the argument is not presenting a correct balanced view or assessment of information. Allowing comparisons to diseases with different transmission and mechanisms as well as other loose associations does not advance the discussion.

 

[Allison]

You said you were a healthcare worker?

As someone else said, I find that a bit scary.

 

[EIU110]

I too am a healthcare worker who is often in my hospital covid ICU. What a relief to know I can go into the unit now without a mask on. I feel so liberated. Stupid doctors, with our stupid PPE.

And for all the "low death rate" nonsense.... With no mitigation techniques, we need 60-70% of the population to be exposed to reach herd immunity. Let's do the math.
US pop 328 million
65% = 208 million
1% death rate = 2 million, 2% death rate 4 million.
Sounds great, lets go pick 2-4 million Americans who deserve to die because people do not want to do something as simple as putting a mask on.
Not to mention hospitals and staff could not keep up. Many of us are drowning right now. We need the help of the public, not one of our own telling everyone it is no big deal.

You deserve to lose whatever medical license you have. I invite you to come in to my ICU for a shift and see patients struggling to breathe, in every room, in every nook and cranny of our facility. That includes 30 year olds, with no comorbidities, who are on vents to breathe.

 

[disneydentist]

Mods, please lock this thread. The OP seems to have an agenda about arguing about masks. As they cherry pick data and statistics, it is not creating a healthy debate but pushing their own agenda.

As a healthcare worker with degrees in the hard sciences and healthcare the argument is not presenting a correct balanced view or assessment of information. Allowing comparisons to diseases with different transmission and mechanisms as well as other loose associations does not advance the discussion.

I can second that and politely suggest that, going forward, masks be added to banned subjects like religion and politics.