Met Opera, NY Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall drop mask mandate

[pstokely]

Source: AP

NEW YORK -- The Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall are dropping their audience mask requirement starting Oct. 24, ending policies in place since they reopened last year.

The decisions announced Monday make wearing of masks optional and put the institutions in line with Broadway theaters, which made face coverings optional last July.

The Met had already dropped its proof of vaccination requirement last month.

The Philharmonic said in an email to subscribers that “to reflect the current COVID landscape, we are updating our mask policy per the recommendations of our medical advisers."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/met-opera-ny-philharmonic-carnegie-hall-drop-mask-91634434

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their audiences aren't anti-maskers? I still wear a mask when asked but that hasn't been in a while, maybe more feel comfortable going maskless in public but would they mind if asked?

[peppertree]

1. You're right: don't leave home without it

[maxsolomon]

2. If you want to wear one, wear it.

No one is stopping you. Wear 2 if you want.

[Orrex]

4. Literally the exact sentiment voiced by anti-maskers and anti-vaxers from day one

[maxsolomon]

10. This isn't Day One, though.

This is somewhere around day 975.

I just got home from an hour on light rail and bus transfer. I wore a mask the entire time. Many of my fellow passengers, most of whom are substantially younger than I, did not.

[Orrex]

14. But the thinking is the same

I have heard no good reason not to wear a mask. I have heard many, many bullshit reasons not to do so.

It boils down to "I refuse to tolerate minimal inconvenience even if it makes other people safer."

[maxsolomon]

15. At least outside, there are few reasons TO wear them.

Outdoor Covid transmission basically isn't a thing and it never was.

I have 5 vaccines. I'm healthy and not 65+. I've yet to get Covid.

Yet I wear masks all the time indoors - groceries, restaurants, retail stores, public transportation. They suck. I'm sick of it.

Yet I continue. Everyone is not like me.

[Orrex]

16. But we obviously weren't talking about outdoor transmission

Unless the Met Opera, the NY Philharmonic, and Carnegie Hall are outdoor venues.

And about that bit about outdoor covid transmission not being a thing?

I've worn a mask at my job upwards of six hours a day since before the feeble mask mandate was initially implemented. And it's not a desk job either; I'm on my feet and active the entire time. I have no sympathy for complaints about comfort of how much masks suck. Again, these boil down to "I refuse to tolerate minimal inconvenience even if it makes other people safer."

I'm gratified that you make the sensible choice and wear a mask. A great many people do not, and their reasons are generally bullshit.

[NullTuples]

6. That's not how pandemic management works.

But at least you've made it clear how you feel about disabled, elderly and immuno-compromised people.

Oh, and anyone who is susceptible to long COVID, which is...pretty much anyone. Each time someone catches COVID again, their chance of ending up with long covid goes up.

Not to mention a new variant is already a concern in the Northern Hemisphere; we've just not seen much of it yet. But we are heading indoors with cooling weather and being with people from outside your household is the best way to catch it.

[maxsolomon]

9. When you go to a place without a mask mandate, you can choose to wear one.

I just got home from the light rail and then a bus. I had a mask on the entire time.

I resent you saying I don't care about the disabled, elderly, and immune-compromised. I clearly do.

The disabled, elderly, and immune-compromised should protect themselves. The mandates have to end at some point, and this is apparently the point.

[pstokely]

12. would you wear one if asked?

I would, but I haven't anywhere that has in months, I would probably keep the requirement if my patrons had no strong opposition against it

[maxsolomon]

13. Of course I would. I have been doing that for years.

Seattle Metro is mask REQUIRED. There's just zero enforcement - too many crazies to make it worthwhile. It's about 50% compliance.

[Orrex]

3. Doing the absolute minimum as required by law

"We'd do less if we could!"

[Samrob]

5. Really bad timing. nt

[pstokely]

8. Just in time for the holiday tourism season

Are they targeting the Branson crowd?

[Peregrine Took]

7. They can drop all the protections they want -doesn't mean its going away anytime soon! n/t

[maxsolomon]

11. That's what Endemic means.

It's never going away.