‘It’s a personal choice’: Western Pa. residents have mixed reactions to mask guidelines
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Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, some have embraced face masks while others resisted them.
Even now that the CDC says fully vaccinated people can go mask-free in many public settings, masks remain the topic of much debate.
In Pennsylvania, the mask mandate now requires fully vaccinated people wear a mask only in certain crowded indoor settings, like public transportation, hospitals and prisons. Businesses are grappling with decisions about whether to leave their masks policies in place or lift them for vaccinated individuals.
Many people seem to have mixed feelings about whether easing the mask mandate was a good call, or a mistake that could make people sick.
Carol Reed of Greensburg wore a mask while shopping at Shop ‘n Save in Murrysville. She opposed the idea of relaxing mandates on mask requirements, even for the fully vaccinated.
“I think everybody should wear the mask,” Reed said. “It’s not a big thing. It’s not a hard thing to do.”
But others celebrated new mask advisories for vaccinated people, saying it felt like a step back to pre-pandemic normalcy.
“I feel like freedom has been given back to us,” Homer Heider of Murrysville said. He was vaccinated and eager to get a haircut at Supercuts in Murrysville mask-free. Monday marked the first day he’d been out visiting local businesses without a mask since the mandate went into effect last year.
Rhonda Mathieson of New Wilmington said she, too, was in favor of easing mask restrictions. As a medical secretary for UPMC Jameson, Mathieson said she worked throughout the pandemic and feels comfortable with fewer people wearing masks.
“I can’t wait for the mask restrictions to be dropped,” said Mathieson, who was shopping Monday at Target in Harmar. “I don’t want to wear a mask. I just don’t think they’re necessary. Keep your distance and you don’t need a mask.”
Leslie Valchar of New Kensington said she felt safe going maskless after being vaccinated.
“I think it’s the people who aren’t vaccinated that need to worry,” she said outside of the Target. “I think they should still wear them if they’re not vaccinated, but that’s their choice.”
Leslie Valchar, 58, New Kensington, stood outside the Target in Harmar and said she will have no trouble adjusting to easing of mask restrictions. pic.twitter.com/3DGoJkzVgx
— Paul Guggenheimer (@PGuggenheimer) May 17, 2021
Unvaccinated people are still supposed to wear masks, per the state’s mask mandate, until 70% of Pennsylvania’s adult population is fully vaccinated. But determining who is vaccinated, and therefore able to safely forgo the mask, isn’t so simple.
“There are some people who are going to lie about it,” Zach Vries of Canonsburg said. He was wearing a mask while entering LA Fitness in Bridgeville Monday morning, one day before he was due for the second dose of his covid-19 vaccine. “I’m cool with it — if people get vaccinated.”
Melissa Bumba of Brentwood said it doesn’t matter to her whether unvaccinated people take their masks off or leave them on. Because she’s vaccinated, she said she felt confident that she was protected from covid-19, even if others around her were unvaccinated and mask-free.
“I’m ready to take it off,” she said, adding that she was hopeful others who felt the same way would be encouraged to get vaccinated so they could safely shed their face coverings.
Bumba wore a mask into LA Fitness because a sign encouraged people to wear them into the building, but said she’d take it off when exercising. She also recently shopped at Sam’s Club — without a mask.
Even for vaccinated people who feel comfortable without masks, the face coverings that have become ubiquitous throughout the pandemic aren’t entirely gone. With many businesses still requiring them, even people who are eager to leave their masks at home may find themselves masking up to eat at their favorite restaurants or visit their favorite stores.
“I just respect whatever the businesses say,” said Connor Kick of Murrysville, who put on a mask to pick up food from Chipotle in Murrysville. “It’s just a respect thing for other people at this point.”
Though he’s willing to wear a mask where businesses require, Kick said he feels these decisions should be left up to individuals.
“At this point, it’s a personal choice for everything — whether it’s vaccinations or masks,” he said.
Mike Silaggi of Murrysville wore his mask into Panera in Murrysville. Though he’s vaccinated, he said wearing a mask indoors is “safest for everyone.”
But he’s ditching the mask outdoors, and he’ll stop wearing it indoors when the mask mandate fully lifts after 70% of adults in the state are vaccinated, he said.
Margaret Dailey of Plum, who was masked up at Shop ‘N Save in Murrysville, echoed a similar sentiment. She said she felt it was “more responsible” to wear a mask inside businesses, though she’s fully vaccinated — but she said she’ll probably stop wearing the mask once the mandate fully lifts.
Ultimately, she said, she felt confused by the new guidelines, which seemed to be an abrupt change after more than a year of constant reminders to wear a mask.
“I think it’s profoundly confusing because we’ve been told for months we need them and now it’s a 180 spin,” she said.
Dan Colaizzi agreed. He wore a mask as he left LA Fitness in Bridgeville.
“People are frustrated,” he said.
Colaizzi, a Peters resident who owns a juice bar inside the gym, said it’s hard for people to know when to wear or ditch a mask under the new order. Some businesses still require masks for everyone, which is frustrating for fully vaccinated individuals who believe the updated mask guidance should allow them to be free from masks.
He said he doesn’t think relaxing the mask requirements was a good idea.
“I think they should keep it for the time being,” he said of the mask mandate. “I don’t think we’re over the hump yet.”