Benton county visit next week.. Covid precautions? (Fayetteville, Rogers: how much, live)

[LynnElm]

We plan a trip to look at the towns of NWA next week. We’re curious about the current Covid stats. Are many people wearing masks? Are the businesses taking precautions and/or wearing masks? We are vaccinated but will wear a mask during the current variant that is spreading. Thank you.

[vcvs]

Like most of the country, people here are playing the game. All corporate type business follow CDC guidelines and require their employees to wear a mask (or risk being non compliant or lawsuit). Locally owned business owners rarely wear a mask. The majority of the population here are not wearing mask.
However you do occasionally see the lone bicyclist riding alone on a rural road wearing a mask… so use your own judgement

[Snaple4]

Some use masks others don’t. I would say less use them than do but depends on location. As I tell my kids, don’t stick your fingers in your nose/mouth/eyes, don’t kiss people on the lips that you don’t know, don’t lick anything, and you will probably be fine…. I’m sure they break most of those requests but they haven’t gotten the covids yet. My kids ate a bunch of dirt and other weird things years past so that might help their immune system.

[Snaple4]

Originally Posted by vcvs

Like most of the country, people here are playing the game. All corporate type business follow CDC guidelines and require their employees to wear a mask (or risk being non compliant or lawsuit). Locally owned business owners rarely wear a mask. The majority of the population here are not wearing mask.
However you do occasionally see the lone bicyclist riding alone on a rural road wearing a mask… so use your own judgement

My youngest daughter and I were driving along and there was a lone person walking on a wide trail with a mask on. She turned to me and asked, why is that person wearing a mask when no one is around. Are they afraid the trail will give them a virus? I’m sure several would not find my response funny but I thought it was….

To OP: Anyways, come and enjoy what we have to offer. If you don’t want the risk of getting sick then best advise is to stay home.

[LynnElm]

Not all people use a mask to avoid Covid. There are many reasons for using one; it sure does reduce the pollen that gets into the airway!

[Luvvarkansas]

Originally Posted by vcvs

However you do occasionally see the lone bicyclist riding alone on a rural road wearing a mask…

Is that dumb, or what?

[Luvvarkansas]

Originally Posted by LynnElm

it sure does reduce the pollen that gets into the airway!

Not to mention the oxygen....

[CrazyCatCoupleSD]

Originally Posted by LynnElm

We plan a trip to look at the towns of NWA next week. We’re curious about the current Covid stats. Are many people wearing masks? Are the businesses taking precautions and/or wearing masks? We are vaccinated but will wear a mask during the current variant that is spreading. Thank you.

People are pretty good about distancing and mask use in Fayetteville, especially in the downtown area. You can easily find businesses that are being safe and taking precautions, though there are plenty that don't, especially as you get farther from town. I'm vaccinated and still wear a mask when indoors, too You won't get looks in Fayetteville if you wear a mask. It's very live and let live. I haven't been in the other parts of NWA much since delta emerged, so I can't speak to those areas.

Enjoy your trip to NWA! People are so great here!!!

[CrazyCatCoupleSD]

Originally Posted by LynnElm

We plan a trip to look at the towns of NWA next week. We’re curious about the current Covid stats. Are many people wearing masks? Are the businesses taking precautions and/or wearing masks? We are vaccinated but will wear a mask during the current variant that is spreading. Thank you.

Oh, meant to add one more thing. Some events even request masks when outside, but I'd say it's about 50/50 on whether people wear them. We went to the First Thursday event on the square last night. The tables were well spaced and the vendors wore masks. Most people wandering around had masks, too, but not everyone had them pulled up on their faces. It was super hot, so I get that.

Not sure how much you wanted to know about masking...I'll see myself out b/c I've probably shared more than you were curious to hear. Enjoy your trip, either way!!

[Take a History Class]

Originally Posted by LynnElm

We plan a trip to look at the towns of NWA next week. We’re curious about the current Covid stats. Are many people wearing masks? Are the businesses taking precautions and/or wearing masks? We are vaccinated but will wear a mask during the current variant that is spreading. Thank you.

Masking is not widespread other than the employees of chain businesses "going through the motions." Nobody is going to hassle you though for wearing a mask in Bentonville or Rogers. I myself was sick last week and started wearing one again when going into businesses. I'm vaccinated for what it's worth and went and got a Covid test which was negative so it was just a cold. I'll be the first to tell you I hate masking, but do think that we'd better off if people who are symptomatic of any respiratory illness wore them as a matter of course and I'm more than willing to do that.


I check the Arkansas Department of Health Covid dashboard a couple times a week, lots of good info here:


https://experience.arcgis.com/experi...113a314f6268a/


The Health Metrics tab shows daily cases and positivity rate, and as you can see it looks like it's starting to ease. That's been the case with every surge thus far and since Arkansas was pretty close to first out of the gate with Delta makes sense. I predict that this part of the country will be in pretty good shape in a month, while the rest of the country is dealing with their Delta surge.