Required mask wearing thru 2021?

I think that they'll end the mask requirement by Christmas. Of course, that depends on whether or not we reach herd immunity and the vaccines (and continued mask wearing/social distancing) work in the face of the mutations of the virus. I know that our public schools here are planning to run school as normal next school year. By then, all adult (who are willing) should be vaccinated, and they are supposed to start on the teenagers in the summer sometime. So, by the end of the year we should all be vaccinated.

According to Bob Chapek last week they anticipate masks being required through the rest of 2021. He hopes things will ease in early 2022. We shall see things are ever changing.

Right now, I don't think anyone can know for sure how long we will need to keep wearing masks as there are a number of variables at play including how quickly people get vaccinated, how many people choose to (or choose not to) get vaccinated, how many variants of the disease emerge, how quickly any variants spread, and how effective the current batch of vaccines will be against those emerging variants. If all goes well, Disney may be able to modify/discontinue mask wearing sooner rather than later. If spread is not adequately checked, it may be necessary to extend the time mask wearing is required.

I would think that Disney will be very cautious in lifting the Covid guidelines. We'll be wearing a mask at Disney longer than in other places I would think. Even as the pandemic moves towards an "end" with vaccination, it would be a public relations nightmare if they tracked a major outbreak or super-spreader event to Disney World. So, I'd prepare for masks through all of 2021, and we'll see what 2022 brings.

Herd immunity. Vaccinations. Variants....politics and nothing else will determine how long masks are required.

As a front line medical worker I always feel bad when politics is put before the medical science of the pandemic!

But.....mask or no mask...I can't wait for my next trip in September!!!!!

bleen3162;2530450 wrote: As a front line medical worker I always feel bad when politics is put before the medical science of the pandemic!

Part of the problem is that science is not exact, so people pick which science they want to believe.

This all can't end soon enough. That's all I have to say on that.

Politics vs belief systems verses which type of schooling you had which makes you defend your own position......sounds like a lot of scapegoating for what we personally want.
I am the resident relations director at an assisted living. I have to many dear friend who have lost their lifes for this to becomee a political manipulation. We just need to do the right thing to allow peope to have a respected and positive end of life experience. Untill you have to tell a wife she will never see her husband of 73 years again after he is sent to the hospital and has died without her by his side.....you have not truely understood what fighting over the particulars mean. Humanity should raise above it all. If i have to wear my mask to keep everyone safe. I will. No ifs, ands, or buts. I wish you would to. That way we can all be proud together.

disney obsessed;2530468 wrote: Untill you have to tell a wife she will never see her husband of 73 years again after he is sent to the hospital and has died without her by his side.....you have not truely understood what fighting over the particulars mean.

This should never happen. This type of thing really, really irks me. We fought for family's rights to be at their loved one's bedside at the end of their lives if they wanted to be. They can even pick up subtle alterations that allow us to step in before it came to that point. There isn't any reason why a wife. . . husband. . . whatever can't be at the bedside. They've already been exposed to whatever the patient has. The medical staff is already protected from whatever the patient has. Patient rights have been trampled in the name of Covid.

I feared as much. It should be an interesting trip come June. Wearing a mask outside for several hours each day under a hot Florida sun doesn't sound like much fun. Add to it limited experiences, no water parks, limits on park visitation and more complicated dining...it just doesn't sound like fun but I think we are probably already too deep at this point. Please tell me I can at least sit poolside without a mask on?

You can only have a mask off when in the water at the pool at this time

I would think certainly through the end of 2021 for masks. We'll have ours on in any case! LOL! We visited recently with masks at WDW and it wasn't bad. After day 2 you pretty much forget you have it on. We're looking forward to our summer trip!