KidDoc said:

---

A month ago I did not worry about not wearing a mask in any business where I could social distance. At that time we had 100 active cases in BCS. Now we are climbing to 700 so I mask up with surgical mask.

Of course I mask when seeing patients as mandated by the Texas Medical Board. Doctor visits are high risk situations for spread.

---

If I can truly social distance, I may or may not. If I can't SD, I almost always do.

I'm not anti-mask, per se. I'm anti-government mandates on personal decisions, and absolutely against mandates based on irrational emotional arguments.

Jbob04 said:

---

tb9665 said:

---

Question of the day. How would you like for your surgeon not to wear a mask when you are having surgery done?

---

That isn't even close to being the same thing as wearing a mask while out shopping.

---

A surgeon wears a mask so as not to infect the patient. The idea is the same for a shopper. The mask is not for the individual it is for the community. Some people cannot wrap their heads around that idea.

This is exactly why I'm not going anywhere. I hate to wear a mask. I will, if necessary, but I did it for so long for work that I just can't.

I've worn one exactly once because I needed to be the one to take the baby to his well check. My husband is doing our grocery shopping and picking up takeout. We've only been out to eat a few times and it was well planned to hit a less busy time.

If a business wants to require it, I'm all for that. Government needs to stay out of it.

trouble said:

---

This is exactly why I'm not going anywhere. I hate to wear a mask. I will, if necessary, but I did it for so long for work that I just can't.

I've worn one exactly once because I needed to be the one to take the baby to his well check. My husband is doing our grocery shopping and picking up takeout. We've only been out to eat a few times and it was well planned to hit a less busy time.

If a business wants to require it, I'm all for that. Government needs to stay out of it.

---

I get it. I'm with you. I have my own reasons to dislike masks in general. I also understand the benefit they can provide when used appropriately, but your last sentence sums it up.

OKAY I WILL LISTEN G'DAMMT

laavispa said:

---

Quote:

---

• no wearing their mask properly

---

With the current environment I evaluate a business biased on how their employees perform this one task. You can tell how effectively Management/Supervision deal with a simple training issue.

Take for example the recent (reported) closure of 3 tire businesses in B/CS over COVID cases. These are probably temporary to be sure. But consider the economic impact on the business in lost income, lost employee time, customer inconvenience. Same thing to consider with the Sanderson cluster. These are all cost to be passed on or reflected in bottom line numbers for investors- some one pays.

Major industries on the coast have mega-economic considerations. With 24/7 operations and hundreds of highly skilled and not easily replaced employees, a serious COVID out break would have profound economic impact on the country. One of their rules: if a shift has one case- the whole crew is quarantined. The operation must then rely on overtime to fill the shift-with these guys it ain't cheap.

---

This is great rationale for private businesses making their own decisions on this issue. No government mandates needed.

This thread is illustrative of the difference in CS and Bryan. CS is reputed to be a city full of Republicans and conservatives yet CS has always been the city that pushes for much more government control, a Democrat principle. Bryan, on the other hand, probably has more registered Democrats and minorities, yet Bryan has always been the city who favors less government control and more freedom. Bryan did not even have zoning for many years after zoning and strict controls were the rage in CS. I can't see the Bryan City Council being real fired up about requiring masks in all businesses. Nancy Berry, former CS Mayor, wants the County Government to require masks. The County Judge and new commissioner, Chuck Konderla, a former Bryan Councilman, will probably be hard to convince on masks. College Station imposes a big impact fee on residential builders. Bryan does not. It is much easier to build in Bryan because there are far less government controls in Bryan. A central planner government controller like John Crompton could never get elected in Bryan. Businessmen have always dominated the Council in Bryan. Very interesting dichotomy between the two cities. All is not always as it seems.

The only problem with that statement is that the positivity rate has actually declined from June 16 (the day before we started contract tracing in earnest). On that day it was cumulatively 8.27%. Since then it is 8.19%. Furthermore, hospitalization as a percentage of active cases has almost halved, from 6.08% to 3.58%.

It's pretty clear the case increase is due in large part to the effects of contact tracing and finding the asymptomatic cases that were always there.

I honestly don't get it. Isn't this the best case "flattening the curve" was aiming at? Hospitals aren't overrun, we've had time to identify and protect the vulnerable, and an increasing amount of those tested are asymptotic.

Quote:

---

It's pretty clear the case increase is due in large part to. the effects of contact tracing and find the asymptomatic cases that were always there.

---

Hopefully, with more people wearing masks when in local businesses, those asymptomatic cases can't transmit the virus as readily compared to not wearing a mask.

I think from the demographic skew, most of this isn't happening at Lowe's. It's 20s and 30s at the bars and private events. It's not in principle that I'm opposed to masks, it's that the broad order is likely misguided and ineffective. Sorry, Mooney lost my vote months ago, and tonight's actions only confirmed this decision.

MiMi said:

---

Quote:

---

It's pretty clear the case increase is due in large part to. the effects of contact tracing and find the asymptomatic cases that were always there.

---

Hopefully, with more people wearing masks when in local businesses, those asymptomatic cases can't transmit the virus as readily compared to not wearing a mask.

---

And after 1 week, or 1 month if the positive cases do not start declining can we then agree that masks are not beneficial to preventing the spread of the virus ?

My personal unsolicited opinion: allow 50% occupancy for restaurants, bars, and retail for the time being. Restaurants and bars should not allow seating within 6 feet of separate parties. Go back to a ban on mass gatherings of 10 or more for the time being. Fine people not following these rules.