Chapek confirms masks will be required in US parks upon reopening

Our Target doesn’t. We don’t do Walmart, so I have no idea.

We’ve been using old fabric we already had, including old sheets, etc.

Yeah, I agree that contact tracing is really hard if there’s community spread. We had community spread here, and managed to contain it, but there were extremely low case numbers. I can’t see that happening in bigger cities with community transmission.

Of course, many outbreaks just peter out on their own, that’s the whole point of non-pharmaceutical interventions like social distancing- get the R0 less than 1. I think that’s how places like Houston (and really nearly all big cities) have to proceed.

In most cities, the horse is out of the barn. Contact tracing is for when the horse is still nudging around, trying to get out.

It totally depends on what the governor okays. We had so many “essential businesses” most things did not, in fact, close down at all. Even our shutdown was very, very different compared to places like NY. DD had a hard time finding a notary in Buffalo, NY yesterday, here, they were essential financial services- and so were realtors, construction, etc. My life didn’t really change that much during the shutdown. The big thing was getting the boys’ haircuts.

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I think just about any business could claim to be essential. It annoys me how it was decided what was essential and what was not.
Did you know that the stores selling personal products (and by that I mean the stores that sell things to be used in the bedroom) stayed open in my area throughout this? They claimed that their products were essential for healthy sex lives. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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Ours is open. :wink:

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Yes, our Walmart does.

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You mean like…nightstands? :wink:

But I do agree. It seems rather arbitrary at times what things are and are not essential.

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Lol! I was in Hobby Lobby a week ago. In our area of PA, most people wear masks in stores, but not outside. Of course masks are supposedly mandatory in stores. We are in the yellow phase, which is no stay at home orders and retail being open. Next is green, which opens up salons, theaters, etc for partial capacity. Normal is not listed in any phases yet. We have dentists and doctors offices open with precautions. And just this weekend restaurants can have outdoor dining with partial capacity.

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Just a warning, TJ Maxx and Homegoods are still not open here, despite being permitted to open.

They weren’t considered essential in PA either.

I was just saying to a friend that these companies have had weeks to figure out how they could be open. If they decide not to then they better not cry bankruptcy… :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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Yeah, they wouldn’t have been able to pull that off in PA. If you weren’t on the essential list, you had to apply for a waiver and many waivers were denied.

Back in AZ probably 50-60% of people were wearing masks at grocery stores and Wal-Marts. I am now on vacation in South Carolina / Georgia and maybe 5-10% are wearing, most of them employees! It seems to be a badge of honor here to not be wearing a mask, and I get some nasty looks with mine on.

Restaurants are open - we ate out the other night, and I saw no attempt to even make it look like social distancing was in effect. Thankfully our table was in a corner with no others around, but toward the end they seated someone right next to us.

Interesting to see these regional attitudes.

P.S. Disney World is in a similar climate to where I am, and honestly masks and distancing seem unnecessary when it is so hot and humid, as long as you’re outdoors. Indoors seems like a much more reasonable and enforceable goal. (When I go back I’ll do whatever Disney says, though.)

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I’m copying this post from another thread. It may be a game-changer for me.

Yet another reason for me to sack off WDW and just focus on UOR.

UOR requires “facial coverings in line with CDC’s guidelines” and those guidelines say nothing about “ties or ear loops”.

I’ve written elsewhere about my horror of masks and my feeling that they are ghoulish, but the gaiter suggested by @thekid feels much more acceptable to me.

Would WDW really reject someone wearing a gaiter?

Edit: Maybe not this one. It has a built-in ear loop and comes in some funky designs.

There were reports that a few CMs at Disney Springs have been using gaiters. I don’t think there are any reports that anyone has been turned away for using them.

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Zoo Tampa opened here, and we went yesterday. Masks were optional except in certain areas.
In the areas they were required, they were handed out and not one person was violating the rule.

We went to city walk on oppeneing day and Disney Springs. Masks were required at both, and at both people were taking there masks off.

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I would think any sort of covering should be acceptable. Probably 90% of masks worn aren’t going to offer any true level of protection. If they are allowing any type of low level face mask, it seems silly to restrict it to only certain types. It seems to me Disney’s goal is compliance. Nitpicking covering types doesn’t achieve that goal.

ETA: And funny to me - DH has been using a bandanna that we all received when we attended the Pirates Party/Cruise in 2014. :grinning:

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If I were to guess, it’s possible requiring the ear tie/loop is a counter measure for guests “struggling” (real or feigned) to keep their coverings in position over mouth and nose. They may not say anything if you’re meeting the intent.

Possible handling…CM: “I’m sorry your covering won’t stay up, but it really doesn’t really meet our requirements anyway. You will need to change to one that does.”

That said, if it’s most comfortable, I’d give it a try but have a Plan B that fully complies ready.

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I thought the same thing - my first thought was that ear loops mention is a preemptive way of maintaining control over people that try to use something that needs constant adjustment.

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the weave on the gaiters that I have that offer UV protection are tighter than most cotton weave fabrics I’ve seen. If the goal is to “protect others not yourself” by wearing a face covering then a gaiter is just as effective as a mask. And in many cases it is lighter and more breathable.

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