A viral video shows many visitors to New York City’s Central Park are afraid to ditch their masks, even when confronted with evidence that doing so when vaccinated and outdoors is safe.
“It sets an example. A visual example,” one parkgoer said when confronted that it is “virtually impossible” to be infected with COVID-19 while outside and vaccinated.
The masked pedestrian expressed that there was “still risk” when it comes to COVID-19 and expressed that his continued use of the mask was a way to “protect others.”
“I want to protect others, and there’s still risk no matter what,” the man said.
MANY PEOPLE RELUCTANT TO SHED THEIR MASKS DESPITE SCIENCE
Disruptive Pictures director Ami Horowitz, who produced the video, told the Washington Examiner he felt compelled to conduct the man on the street interviews because he was “confounded by the people still wearing masks outside while vaccinated.”
Horowitz noted that “over a third” of the people in his Manhattan neighborhood were still wearing masks, a behavior that confused him given the updated science.
“These people continuously preached about the need to follow the science, but they are wearing masks in direct conflict with the science,” Horowitz said.
Many of those interviewed in the short video expressed similar reasons for wearing masks, while most of the respondents were not willing to ditch their masks when confronted with the science.
“So it’s virtually impossible to get coronavirus outside while you’re vaccinated,” Horowitz told one parkgoer. “Does that change your thought process at all?”
“Not really,” the man responded. “I’m just going to keep wearing it.”
“I personally still wouldn’t want to take the risk,” another respondent said. “I don’t trust anyone else,” he continued, noting that he was doing it for his personal safety.
Some of those interviewed expressed that wearing masks had become a habit, while another reasoned that there was “anxiety” about taking off the mask after wearing it for so long.
“There’s a lot of anxieties with taking the mask off for the first time,” one masked parkgoer said. “It’s like a social anxiety at this point.”
Horowitz said his interviews led him to eventually notice a trend.
“As I spoke with the masked pedestrians, three different reasons emerged as the drivers for their anti-scientific mask-wearing,” Horowitz said. “Social pressure, extreme and irrational fear, and a middle finger to the people who didn’t want to wear masks.”
The video comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent guidance was updated to reflect that fully vaccinated individuals can largely resume their pre-pandemic activities, including ditching the masks and social distancing that have become staple guidelines throughout the pandemic.
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“You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance,” the CDC says of fully vaccinated individuals.
