Masks off: locals react to end of Boulder County mandate

As of Feb. 18, Boulder County Public Health's two public health orders requiring masks in public indoor spaces expired. For the first time in months, no one was forced to wear face coverings inside, although they could if they wanted to. Some do.

A careful eye in retail spaces around town indicates this. Many customers waiting in line for coffee in Cottonwood Square's Winot Coffee Company one morning were maskless on one recent morning. At one point, a single masked individual came in.

"I'm overjoyed," said Mary Jo Wysocky. As she served customers at Winot, she qualified her initial statement. "It's not fully comfortable, though. I feel a little cautious still, but it feels good not to be wearing it.

In The Old Oak Coffeehouse on 2nd Avenue, feelings seemed similar. The location has been cautious during the pandemic, with prominent signage requesting masking and, at one point, a detailed explanation about why masking was important to them.The plexiglass protective shield by the cash register, as well as signs, were removed and most patrons remained maskless.

"I'm conflicted, it feels like I'm missing something," said barista Brittany Sites. "It's been this way for so long. I've been in customer service for the majority of this pandemic, so I was used to it."

Her co-worker Amy Scanes-Wolfe added, "I've never minded wearing a mask, but I hope that everyone feels comfortable. Some people feel nervous but others feel delighted."

The removal was a change for schools just as it was for the larger community. "It's going really well," said Niwot High School principal Eric Rauschkolb. "Approximately 50% of our students and staff are choosing to still wear masks, and I haven't heard of any issues at all related to either wearing or not wearing masks. Our students are doing a really good job of respecting everyone and their choices."

Niwot-focused social media pages are reflecting what people are expressing in real life. For the purposes of this article, a post on Facebook Group Nifty Niwot asked how members were feeling about the mask mandate being lifted. At press time, only two people responded and their responses were different.

Member Jim Felix shared how he "hates the mask, but it feels safe as it seems to be the only proven method to avoid COVID. I worry about getting long lasting effects with lung, etc...I moved here about a (year and a half) ago, am single, and it makes it hard to meet people (both COVID and the mask)...Today in BOCO seven people lost their lives due to COVID, and the hospitals are still full, delaying many non-COVID related surgeries...I can not wait for this to be over and to ditch the mask for good, hopefully when warmer weather comes."

The second response, by Tucker Rutlege, was shorter but equally passionate. It simply said, "I'll keep it short, HALLELUJAH" (expressed in caps.)

As different as these responses were, they may best sum up the range of feelings in Niwot as the community looks at how to manage the pandemic without mandates many have become used to.