For some Bakersfield residents, California reopening feels like a long time coming.
“I guess we’re at a point where we’ll have to see it to believe it,” Bakersfield resident, Andy Cortez.
What Cortez and Californians will be seeing: a drop in physical distancing and mask requirements in most public spaces for people who are vaccinated come Tuesday.
“I think I’ll be able to walk around without my mask and not get chewed out, or worry about if I forgot it,” Cortez said. “I think we deserve to get back to normal and enjoy our daily lives and just basically see how it plays out. I think as long as everybody is getting vaccinated and following the guidelines that we should be good.”
According to the California Department of Public Health, residents will still need to mask up, regardless of vaccination status, on public transportation, indoors at k-12 schools childcare, and other “youth settings,” healthcare settings, state and local correctional facilities, and detention centers, homeless shelters, cooling centers and indoor events with more than 5000 people.
Jonathan Vazquez of Bakersfield said he’s fully vaccinated and feels comfortable not wearing his mask in public when the time comes. However, Vazquez doesn’t see masks going away completely overnight.
“I feel like people are still going to wear the mask just because they’re probably scared to get sick again, Vazquez said. “And some people don’t have their vaccines as well.”
Meanwhile, Bakersfield resident, Ariana Gabella said she’ll be keeping her mask on in indoor spaces until she “sees how it goes.”
“Honestly, it feels long overdue, but we should still be careful. There’s people who always stand too close to you, you know? But I think the masks have helped,” Gabella said.
