Cathy Wood, of DeRuyter, used to wear masks as soon as she got out of the car. But she hasn’t done that in a while since the mask mandate was lifted by the state in February.
“I’ve got masks in my home and three of them in my car now,” she said Monday in front of CVS pharmacy on Port Watson Street in Cortland. “ I should put them on, I just, just get lazy.”
Now might not be the time for her to get lazy.
“We have recently been seeing as many cases in the community as during the first major spike, in late 2020 and early 2021,” said Dr. Christopher P. Morley, chair of the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine of SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Cortland County reported 108 new cases of coronavirus from May 10 to Monday. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Cortland has 227 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week.
Under metrics and guidance from the CDC, Cortland County was listed as having a “high risk” of transmission. In counties with a “high risk,” wearing a mask in indoor public places is still recommended.
“As we closely monitor the numbers and as case levels remain high across the state, now is the time for every New Yorker to get vaccinated and boosted, test following exposure or symptoms, and stay home if unwell, even if you initially test negative on an at-home test. If you test positive, consult with your provider about treatments,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett in a news release.
“In our region, it is my professional opinion that we have not really been in a situation to drop masks indoors since last August,” Morley said. “While the proportion of cases that end up very sick is down, those getting sicker tend to be older, at risk for other reasons, or who have older and unboosted vaccination. It is still possible to get very sick or to pass along your mild case to someone else who can get very sick. For these reasons, and especially the latter, I still mask up when I am inside a public place.”
John Mann, 73, plans to wear masks again, though not while shopping at CVS.
“It doesn’t bother me to wear them every time in public places,” he said. “And sometimes, I didn’t. but I feel like I should. It’s for me and everybody else’s sake.”
A second booster shot is on his agenda, as well
“I got a little bit of a cold a few weeks ago,” Mann said. “
I am waiting for that to be gone, so I can get a second booster shot. And I have a whole bunch of masks at home.”
“The risks from COVID-19 far outweigh any risks from vaccination,” Morley said. “Everybody ages 5 and older is now and has been eligible for two shots of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, plus a booster; and those who have other risk factors, or are 50 or older, are eligible for more. I recommend everyone being as up-to-date with a COVID-19 vaccine as possible.”
Morley also reminds people to be wary of gatherings.
“Mask up, get vaccinated, watch for symptoms, and be cautious about gathering with others,” he said. “Not just for you, but for your loved ones, your friends and neighbors, and for everyone.”
Despite having had all of three shots, as old as 74, Wood said she would mask up again, for her own health and that of her husband.
“Because you’ve no idea if you don’t wear it if people are vaccinated or not,” she said. “If they bring it up again, the COVID numbers rise, we are going right back to where we started.”
