https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/05/03/florida-covid-restrictions-gov-ron-desantis-lifts-rules-statewide/ [login to see] /
Some of you know what the Nextoor app is. Responding to a discussion on that platform:
The question
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Masks in restaurants. Hi went out to eat at Boca Grill (Mediterranean fast food) last night. I asked the person that was preparing the food to please put on a mask. He told me that wearing a mask is not required. Can someone please update me on recent requirements. Thanks.
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The thread quickly devolved into "you have to be immunized to not wear a mask"
"no you don't, it's state law now"
"yes you do"
"no you don't"
"you are an idiot"
"no, you are an idiot"
My answer:
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As passed into state law, July 1st all emergency measures are dropped and no immunity passport will be allowed. Immediately, via executive order, all mask mandates have been dropped.
Not part of the question but I also want to address the point of fear I see with a lot of people - immunity. Mayo Clinic, WebMd and several other science based sites will tell you:
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Why is herd immunity important?
Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.
How is herd immunity achieved?
There are two main paths to herd immunity for COVID-19 — infection and vaccines.
Natural infection
Herd immunity can be reached when enough people in the population have recovered from a disease and have developed protective antibodies against future infection.
Experts estimate that in the U.S., 70% of the population — more than 200 million people — would have to recover from COVID-19 to halt the pandemic...
- or -
Researchers think that the R0 for COVID-19 is between 2 and 3. This means that one person can infect two to three other people. It also means 50% to 67% of the population would need to be resistant before herd immunity kicks in and the infection rates start to go down.
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https://www.webmd.com/lung/what-is-herd-immunityhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/herd-immunity-and-coronavirus/art-20486808So that begs the question - how many have been infected across the US and have recovered? Add to that the number who have been immunized. With numbers I've been able to get ahold of we are nearing that 60-70% immune level that provides herd immunity.
More than 130 million Americans are fully vaccinated...
More than 33 million Americans have tested positive, subtract the ~600,000 who have died, that is 32.4 million who have gained the same basic immunity as those who got a shot.
Since we have crossed the 60% point (not counting under 18) you will notice that the number of positives and deaths are in a steep decline.