Greets and saluts from the NYC metro area. It was a gloriously sunny and warm spring day here in the NYC metro area, and this week looks to be even more of the same with temps rising to perhaps 90 by the end of the week.

NJ has joined the handful of states where at least 70% adult population has gotten at least one shot. NJ has gotten about 43% of all adults fully vaccinated at this point, and we’ll be joining those ranks later this week (though it will be until the start of June before we can say we’re fully protected).

In stark contrast, GOP dominated states all around the Southeast are lagging, and with the predictable consequences.

Those who get vaccinated are not ending up hospitalized or dead.

I’ll continue masking indoors and in crowded situations even after fully vaccinated, but over time we’ll relax that. That’s my personal choice, just as it is businesses choice to continue requiring masking of patrons even if the state drops their requirements (think shirts, shoes, or no service). Except here, there’s a far more rational and grounded public health situation involved and the safety of employees and patrons is involved.

Dropping the masking requirement puts the onus on employees and people to work in an honor system, when the anti-vaxxers and anti-masker GOPers have no honor. They have ignored facts and reality for far too long, and this enables them to push the boundaries even further. I get that the CDC thinks that this might be carrot/stick effort to get more people vaccinated by saying you can go without masks if you’re fully vaccinated, but how do you check that a person has been vaccinated?

Meanwhile, more colleges are requiring students be vaccinated before September classes start, which should get more people vaccinated. Colleges have always required vaccinations before starting classes, given the chances for highly communicable diseases spreading on campus. This is just one more vaccination to require. That’s hardly an infringement on liberty, but one could also say, it’s so that we can be free of worry about covid19 spreading on campus and sickening or killing those around us, or those who come in contact with those around us.