It’s my understanding that masks are “required” (read: enforced) only in the security areas of airports & on planes.
NB: this is secondhand info as I have not flown in over 2 years, nor do I plan to do so any time soon.
“Normal masks” that most people wear are “little more than facial decorations” according to Leana Wen on CNN, in a moment of saying the quiet part out loud.
Might as well wear a pretty face decoration, then.
NB: in the clipped segment, Wen was advocating people wear surgical masks to celebrate new years eve in New York City, outside.
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I mean, if you don’t want to wear a mask at the airport, all you have to do is sit at the bar with a glass of water in front of you for as long as you like before your plane boards.
probably doesn’t even need to be “at the bar”. can sit right in front of the gate with said water. nobody says anything.
Yep. It’s worth remembering that the reason cloth masks gained acceptance initially was because of supply constraints on real masks. The thinking (for those who paid attention) was: yes, they aren’t as effective as basic surgical masks or N95’s…but they do somewhat reduce the chance of your spreading the virus.
The feds rules do have guidance on what kinds of masks are not acceptable. Quoting Southwest’s FAQ:
Also, I believe the mask requirement applies whenever you are in a building or vehicle that is under DOT or FAA jurisdiction. That would include both landside and airside at airport terminals.
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Interesting interpretation of the situation, since he was neither “assaulting or intimidating” any flight crew member (based on the video I saw) nor was he failing to comply with any direct crewmember instructions.
Additionally:
His facial decoration fails the “fit snugly against the sides without gaps” part, but so do most cloth and surgical masks that have been accepted, so singling him out is inconsistent.
He’s simply using his own creativity, per Dr. Fauci:
IMO, the best part of that story is the couple people wearing “normal masks” who followed him off the plane in protest solidarity.
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…well, aside from the blanket instruction about proper mask wearing made at the beginning of every flight and multiple times during the boarding process…and whenever a flight attendant notices a passenger improperly asked…if my pandemic-flight era experience is typical.
I do think it is a stretch to apply that particular law to failure to comply (especially given the presence of other regulations where breach would expose a person to civil penalty)…but apparently courts have been wiling to make that stretch.
Do people do that in the boarding area? I wouldn’t know. After I clear security, I go straight to the bar until my boarding group is called.
yeah, i’ve seen people sitting near the gate eating or drinking and not wearing a mask.
My routine in airports post COVID is A: find a bar, get a drink, try to de-stress (cause I’m always stressed flying). If no bar available, try to find a seat within eye-shot of my gate as far away from everyone I can be. If I hear coughing nearby I scatter.
My covid airport routine is to avoid airports.
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I have my first trip in almost exactly 2 years scheduled for february. will likely be fine, but it won’t be less stressful than the old travel system I imagine
Current Ontario advice, either an n95 mask, or double up a medical mask and a cloth mask. Jeez, I’m an advocate of masking, but even I’ll admit this seems extreme even if it is effective.
Do you know where I can get some n95s?
My company (which has a lot of epidemiology folks and MDs) recommends these. I have a pack coming today but haven’t used them before.
KF94 masks are easy to get, and can cost less than a buck a pop. There are some cheap N95s on the market now, too.
Sorry, we just checked and we’ve got 2 from back at the beginning of the apocolypse. If I had extra, I’d send them.
Resorting to double masking (per Dr. Tam I guess), a surgical covered by a cloth mask. One mask bad, two masks good. The irony is tangible.
I actually just got back in the house, had to do a beer store run. I double masked. Eh, it’s fine. I’m quite comfortable in a mask, happy to wear them.
the reviews claim they are counterfeit. any N95 masks I saw on amazon had questionable reviews, so I wasn’t sure either where to go for N95 masks.
I got the KF94 masks that Lucy linked. They seem okay other than they are too large on me.
I don’t think they’re easy to get in Canada at the moment.
I may hope for the best from Amazon, but they screwed me waiting months for some shit masks early in the pandemic, I’d much rather get them at a store.
Home Depot
edit: looks like they’re out of stock at the windsor location.
If you seriously are in need of some I can buy some from my local HD & ship them to ya’. just lemmino.
These are what I like-enough/use: 3M Aura Particulate Respirator N95 Foldable (10-Pack)-9205P-10-DC - The Home Depot
They might not fit your needs if you need the super duper hospital grade masks.