Saba Ali reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that it is going to be awhile before it is safe to not wear a mask in public to protect the community from COVID-19. "While the number of residents who are vaccinated increases, restrictions on restaurants and businesses relax, and many increasingly yearn for a return to normalcy in the pandemic’s second year, statistics show the virus’ prevalence in the Mid Hudson region remains steady, if not intensifying," Ali writes. Scientists say two things need to happen to leave the masks behind: Herd immunity, or at least two-thirds of the population, including children, vaccinated. And scientists need to do more tests about how long the vaccine lasts, and if it is effective against all new variants. By the end of summer the adult population should be mostly vaccinated, and children may be receiving doses by then. "There may come a point where we don't have to wear masks like we do now, but if the vaccine only lasts for six to 12 months where there is significant mutations to the virus, then we may have to wear masks a lot longer," Dr. William Begg, vice president of medical affairs at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, said. Data released by the Catskill school district March 30, indicated that 40 staff members there do not want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, so getting to herd immunity may take longer than expected. But the more people that get vaccinated, the closer everyone is to discarding masks. "Just because hundreds of people are not dying, we are not out of the woods. We are in a much better place, but we cannot be cavalier because people will end up in the hospital," said Dutchess County health commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian. Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.