School Mask, Vaccine Mandates: Maryland Patch Readers Split

MARYLAND — The majority of Maryland readers who responded to Patch's informal reader survey on masks and COVID-19 vaccines said they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, think masks should be required in schools, and believe businesses should be allowed to require masks be worn by customers.

Of the 4,613 survey respondents:

• 78 percent said they were vaccinated
• 62 percent said students in K-12 schools should be required to wear masks
• 63 percent said teachers in K-12 school should be required to wear masks
• 73 percent said businesses should be able to require masks

The survey, which appeared in questionnaire form on Patch, is not meant to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment. The questions ranged from opinions on mask and vaccine mandates, to personal comfort levels with mask wearing if cases rise.

"We need to get this virus under control and it appears the best way to prevent spread are vaccines and masks," said one Patch reader.

Patch readers were more split on requiring vaccines for teachers and students over the age of 12 who are approved for vaccines. A little more than half said students should be required to get the vaccine, and 60 percent said teachers should be required to get it.

Some readers who wanted mask and vaccine mandates said they were worried their children who are too young to get the vaccine could get sick. Many readers who said "no" to questions about masks and vaccines in schools cited parental choice.

"Parents should be able to decide about masks for their children on an individual basis," one reader said.

Several school districts have already put mask mandates in place for schools, including Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Baltimore County and Prince George's County.

Some readers said mask wearing anywhere and vaccines should be a personal choice, not one mandated by the government.

"Everyone should have a CHOICE on what to do with masks, and not be mandated or forced to do anything," another Patch reader wrote. "If a private business wants to require masks, they can choose to do that as well, but they should also know they’re going to cause people not to shop there and be OK with it."

Readers were split on whether showing proof of vaccination should be required for indoor dining or public events in Maryland — 49.9 percent said yes, 40.7 said no, and 9.4 percent said they were not sure.

One reader said proof of vaccine should be required, and not just for indoor dining.

"Evidence of vaccination should not only be indoor dining," the reader wrote. "Any large gathering places should apply as well where masks may come off at any point in time like a spa/facial/massage, gym, sports, church, or congested events or places with larger than X amount of ppl."

Nearly half of readers said they wear a mask regularly indoors anyway. Sixty-five percent said they would wear one indoors if cases started to surge in their area.

"Everyone has a right to safe and healthy spaces and we all have a responsibility to make that right a reality for each other," one Patch reader wrote. "Until we accept this responsibility and act accordingly, the virus and its variants will continue to wreak havoc on us all, vaccinated or not, and we will never emerge from this pandemic."

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