Truthfully any mask mandate is more of a symbolic gesture than anything else.

I just don't see how you enforce a mask mandate effectively through the whole convention space. Hotels are unenforceable besides in the meeting room that gencon booked. The convention center is pretty much unenforceable in any of the hallways since they don't check badges to enter the convention center. Don't expect your server at a restaurant or anyone around you at the restaurant to be wearing a mask. Don't expect your uber or Lyft driver to be wearing a mask.

This convention is in a heavily red state that lifted the mask mandate a long time ago. So trying to enforce one during Gencon is going to be like putting a square peg in a round hole.

I am not even against having to wear a mask. But if you are attending you should expect a good chunk of exposure to maskless people no matter what Gencon decides.

I think they were referring more towards the 'convention space' in its entirety - hotels, restaurants, halls, etc.   Last year people were complaining about Colts fans moving through the ICC without masks so, I'm not sure GC can control the area entirely.    The rest of the post isn't wrong, you are going to be exposed to maskless people all over the place other than the bubble of badge required items for GC.    

At this point, I'm assuming nothing is changing.   At best I'm hoping for masks in vendor hall, masks when moving, masks optional when at rest at a game table playing.   About as best as I'm hoping for at this time.

Origins just reinstated mandatory masking for 2022.

https://twitter.com/originsgames/status/1526638918757646338

I feel so prescient by pointing out last night that everyone trying to convince Gen-Con to drop its mandate should probably see if we even made it to Origins without them readopting one, haha.

I assume there will be a flood of people cancelling Origins now according to one theory here.  Or another that no real change will occur.

Here we go!

There was also a "policy" in the twitter explanation that a GM could require masks at their tables. Which is another bad idea as how could you get that info out in time and many would argue with the GM creating more issues.

Seems like Origins learned no lessons from Gencon last year and instead went with the hold my beer announcement. Now they will just upset everyone with just a few weeks left before the show.

In fairness to them, they also had a quick turnaround time from last year's Origins. Remember, last year it was held from September 30 through October 3, and now this year's con is only eight months later. I imagine that's not a lot of time to deal with all the usual convention stuff to work on, let alone the other measures that need to be taken to run a safe event during the pandemic.

I wonder how much of this was due to "up tick" and how much of this was due to vendors upset?

it's very depressing that it will likely not change and it be another year hindered by a mask it's stuffie enough there without a mask. CDC says the individual should decide there own risk and I think the cdc is the science we should follow not on how the higher ups fell about it. 

I do believe in mask wearing but I want to be able to take it off when I fell it safe to do so not forced to keep it on when your sitting at a table and there not being many around. 

Meanwhile for the poker and werewolf players....best news ever!  Poker faces just got real easy!

I am at Disney World in Orlando Florida no one wears a mask here even on the crowded buses and monorails ….the parks are pretty full no masks,..in Florida we haven’t had masks for about a year and a half now so I guess the people that live up north have a lot more issues thinking that the mask does protect you.   The only place we wear masks are in a clinical area inside a hospital and that’s it.  

I was in FL in February and masking was in place still for buses/monorails/planes. We kept our masks on when indoors. UNTIL the last couple days when we went to a movie and we’re lax. Guess who had COVID symptoms right after returning from FL? I wouldn’t hold up the lax rules of the states as an example of what is safe and best for prevention.