To mask, or not to mask? That remains a question.
Despite county health authorities announcing this Tuesday that mask-wearing, social distancing, and most other COVID mandates have finally come to an end , some Santa Barbarans are still choosing to cover their faces while out and about. Who can blame them? After a hard, habit-forming 15 months of living in the vice grip of a pandemic, it’s not easy to now simply throw your caution and your virus shield to the wind.
Some rules still exist ― masks must be worn by everyone on planes, trains, and public automobiles; all K-12 students while in class; and attendees of large events, defined as 5,000 people indoors or 10,000 outdoors. Private businesses can also require masks of customers if they can’t prove they’ve been vaccinated. (State officials just unveiled a new system by which residents can access a digital copy of their vaccination record. Find it here .)