The Mask Wars: Where Do Connecticut Patch Readers Stand?

CONNECTICUT — Your mother likely told you never to discuss religion or politics among strangers. Based on the results of Patch's most recent reader survey, you can add mandatory mask wearing to that short list of taboo subjects guaranteed to cause a kerfuffle.

With an uptick in both hospitalizations and the coronavirus positivity rate caused by the spread of the delta variant, municipal leaders newly empowered by Gov. Ned Lamont are looking hard at requiring masks for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents.

Some have already pulled the trigger. City chiefs in Norwalk, Stamford, Danbury, Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven have all issued orders requiring residents and visitors to mask up in public areas indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.

The percentage of Patch readers taking the survey who told us they were vaccinated (69.5 percent) jibes pretty well with the stats from the state Department of Public Health for Connecticut as a whole. In total, Patch received 3,142 responses to the survey, which was not meant as a scientific poll.

But if 70 percent of residents have been vaccinated, doesn't that mean that around 30 percent of the people on line at the Stop-N-Shop should be wearing masks, according to current state guidelines?

"Amongst the folks I know, I’ve noticed the more people who aren’t masked are the ones who won’t get vaccinated. That’s a big concern. I don’t think vaccinated people should have to wear masks, in general, but it may be the only way to protect ourselves against those that will worry about COVID when they get it," one reader observed.

There's no denying that the delta variant has moved the goalposts. Residents who had suffered through a dreary lockdown of masked socializing and shuttered venues were told all that would go away if they would just get take the jab. Now, many are feeling the sting of what some readers called a "bait-and-switch."

"I got vaccinated so I didn't need to mask anymore," one said.

"When will it ever end? Once you tell people the answer is to vaccinate, you can't then go back and require masking. And cloth masks do not stop virus particles, so this is really for show," another explained.

Many of those in favor of municipal masking were just as fed up with the pandemic, and saw new restrictions as the only logical ladder out of the hole. Most of them had little patience for anti-maskers or anti-vaxxers they saw as delaying the process.

"People should be given zero tolerance policies in regards to refusing to wear masks/getting the vaccine. At this point change will not happen unless it is forced."

"It's time to step up and give a thought for others. The relaxed masking rule since May 19 is NOT working. The number of maskless unvaccinated is staggering. I wear a mask all day every day at work, and it's not a hardship. Wearing a mask to protect others isn't government overreach; it's called a compassionate society."

Nearly half of the readers who took the Patch survey said they never wear a mask indoors in public now, and that number won't change by much if there is a surge in infections, based upon the survey results.

Almost 45 percent of the Patch readers who took the poll said they still would not wear a mask even after a surge in delta or other variant cases in their area, and 9.4 percent weren't sure. In the words of one hold-out, "COVID is just the flu. Get over it you big baby."

Other readers with a more analytical bent have been following the numbers, and pointed out that although hospitalizations are on the rise, they are far away from being any kind of burden to the state's health care system. Infection levels have been rising as well, they acknowledge, but they also note there has been a greatly reduced number of tests taken each day. Others point to the coronavirus-associated death toll which has also dropped to near zero.

"The COVID rates are going back up, but the deaths per day are not, they're the same as when COVID was 0.3%, it's ok if humans get sick, it makes our immune system stronger," according to one reader.

"If the Positivity rate hits 5%, I'll wear a mask in the supermarket or public buildings," another said.

Many readers were less opposed to municipal mask mandates than they were to the chaos they predicted the orders would cause. They were among the 38 percent surveyed who said they wanted Lamont to re-impose a statewide order for masks, regardless of local infection levels.

"It's shameful that our governor lacks the backbone to implement an order to require masking in all public places," one reader told us.

"Coronavirus knows no boundaries. Just because a particular town is 90% vaccinated doesn't mean that it won't have visitors from low-vaccinated towns, spreading COVID," according to another reader.

The current situation at the open southern border, in which immigrants may enter untested, unvaccinated and unmasked was a sore point for many. But vaccine passports didn't get a lot of love from Patch readers, either. When we floated this question in a survey in April, just a little over 55 percent of those responding said they were against the idea, and nearly 45 percent were in favor of the certification.

This time around, having stared down an additional three months of the virus, their resistance had been worn down to just over 51 percent.

Masks shouldn't be a factor anymore, some said. And many questioned their effectiveness. Others insisted, instead, it is the vaccine that should be mandatory.

By far the topic that drew the most comments, predictably, was whether mask-wearing had a future in Connecticut schools this fall. The electricity the subject generates can be traced in part to the uncertainty among parents and superintendents on what guidance the state Department of Public Health will offer school districts. Lamont has promised he would give all concerned parties a two-week heads up, but the shoe hasn't dropped yet.

There is speculation the governor will afford superintendents the same wiggle room he has given mayors for their towns, and/or provide guidelines based upon local infection rates. According to the survey, around 55 percent of Patch readers prefer that direction to a one-size-fits all approach.

Of course, there's that "chaos" thing again:

"If the protocols are town-by-town, particularly for school mask policies, the rules may be influenced more by a small group of vocal, angry parents than by the science," one reader said. "Consistency across the state helps remove this influence from the hands of the few (and takes the target off of the superintendent's back). Prevention and keeping infection numbers low is better than trying to react to changing numbers as students begin school, or when vacations happen, etc."

And make no mistake, many parents are angry. By far the single most common comment we received was the 3-word entreaty to "Unmask Our Kids," followed by any number of exclamation points. Over 53 percent who responded were opposed to school staff and students wearing masks in the classroom come the fall.

Even if the final numbers in the survey didn't point to a decisive public opinion "victory" for either point of view, one thing was crystal clear to anyone wading through the over 3,140 responses: passions are at an all-time high, and compromise does not seem in the cards.

"It's time to stop coddling the anti-vaxxers. They are the ones who are responsible for our situation and everyone suffers because of them."

"Stay out of our personal business and let us Americans have our freedom to make our own decisions regarding our own health."