Masks Still Worn By Nearly 60 Percent Of NJ Readers In Public Settings: Patch Survey

NEW JERSEY - Two years into the coronavirus pandemic, New Jersey has seen more than 2 million positive cases and 33,000 deaths.

But those weren't the only ways the pandemic affected Garden State residents.

Everyone has been touched by the virus in some shape or form, from lockdowns to business closures, from masking to social distancing, and much more. And many of those things are still altering the way New Jerseyans live their lives.

According to an online survey Patch conducted with its readers, 74.3 percent of readers “always complied” with mask mandates in the state, with another 13.8 percent saying they “usually” complied.

“Deciding on vaccines was very hard and adhering to mask wearing while not all people were made me angry and upset. It wasn't easy, still isn't,” one reader said.

“I believe in vaccines and still wear my masks. It’s the emotional toll that’s been hard to deal with at times,” said another.

But despite mask mandates ending in New Jersey, 59 percent of state residents still wear masks in public settings, according to the survey. That means mask-wearing is continuing among most New Jersey Patch readers, despite 616 respondents saying they got at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

For the 13.2 percent of respondents who didn't get vaccinated, Patch asked why, and answers varied.

“There are too many unknowns [regarding] the side effects for something that combats something similar to a bad cold for a relatively healthy person like myself,” one reader said.

“Too new, no long-term studies on side effects,” another said.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious illness and death, according to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and prevention. The CDC says the vaccines use science that has been around for decades, serious side effects are extremely rare, and the vaccines are much safer than contracting the coronavirus.

Loss of family, friends

Just under 33 percent of New Jersey residents who took the survey - about one in three individuals - indicated that they lost a family member or friend to COVID-19. Yet, of those who lost a loved one, only 28.6 percent were able to hold or attend a funeral service.

“Losing my grandmother to COVID is something I will never recover from,” one reader shared. “We postponed her memorial service for 6 months and then I was unable to attend because I contracted COVID. It was closure I will never have and I will never be the same after going through the last 2 years.”

Economic impacts

Nearly 31 percent of New Jersey respondents said their personal finances are worse because of the coronavirus pandemic, stemming from lockdowns, layoffs and businesses not being able to weather the storm.

According to the survey, 46.8 percent of New Jersey respondents also could not work continuously at one job during the pandemic.

“COVID really affected my business as a kids’ face painter. Before COVID, I was making $250-$300 every weekend. Nowadays, I'm lucky if I can make that amount in a month,” one reader said.

For others, their professional services were in demand more than ever before.

“I worked—and at this time, still work—remotely via teletherapy. There were more demands for my professional services than I could accommodate,” another wrote.

About the survey

Patch opened the survey to readers on March 4 and asked New Jersey residents a number of specific and open-ended questions about how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their lives. Patch received answers from 707 respondents.

The survey is not scientific, but gives a general gauge of how New Jersey Patch readers feel two years into the coronavirus pandemic.