Fifth Avenue Forum

Restaurants have done yeoman's work at creating proper outdoor environments, but instead of only removing masks when eating/drinking people just ditch the mask as soon as they're seated. There's mingling amongst tables, as it's common for groups of 8-10 to show up and claim 3-4 tables in one area of the dining space. Add into that relatively lax enforcement by a majority of restaurants who are frankly relieved to have the patronage; there was a restaurateur in a local Facebook group was railing about the recent re-lockdown saying he didn't understand why people are "free to roam around the produce section sneezing on the broccoli" but he has to close down in-person dining at his restaurant. Another group member chimed in and pointed out that they observed zero enforcement of mitigation measures at said restaurant, and that buying food at a grocery store/farmers market is essential, but eating in a restaurant is not.

I have several public parks in my neighborhood, and I've rarely seen people wearing masks at all. It's bizarre, because adherence at indoor locations is pretty rigid and across-the-board. But it's as if when people are outside they just dgaf. Yes, the risk is greatly reduced when outside, but not when all mitigation efforts are abandoned. So shutting down in-person dining and parks and such is less about the specific risk of dining outdoors vs other activities, as it is recognizing where people are being irresponsible. Sort of nationwide we've been incredibly reckless in how we've reopened (or more specifically how people have indulged in the reopening), and we're now at a point where we are dwarfing our summer spike in hospitalizations to the point where we in CA are very likely to face hospital bed shortages (some counties have stopped sending ambulances to 911 calls).

Weirdly, the only outdoor activities I've seen since summer where mask wearing has been fairly widespread has been the protests and marches and whatnot. (At least where I live)