Ask Philadelphians how they feel about Monday’s return of the mask mandate and the answer is unlikely to be one of ambivalence.
to reinstate the rule for indoor establishments after a rise in coronavirus cases, residents described feeling intensely emotional about the policy change.As coronavirus cases tick up again after the post-lull that brought the lifting of nearly all restrictions, some reported that Philadelphia’s decision to again require masks indoors affected their mental well-being — for the better or the worse, depending on their situation.
On Saturday, several businesses and residents filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court, claiming Philadelphia lacks the authority to impose such a mandate. But Rapier, who has type 1 diabetes, said her anxiety will be alleviated beginning Monday, when others will have to be masked indoors. In South Philadelphia, Meghan Winch said she will now be more likely to go inside to stores and businesses without worrying whether she will bring the virus home to her 4-year-old daughter, who is too young to be vaccinated.
While for some the return of masks alleviates anxiety, others see it as “a little defeating,” said Danielle Cooper, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and director of an intensive outpatient program for OCD at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “I’m vaccinated and, for the longest time, I was very pro-mask,” he said. But, “it’s two years later.”Penn’s Cooper has some tips for how to cope if the pandemic’s ups and downs are affecting your mental health:
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