In US, pandemic’s end is in sight. Are Americans ready?

Why does Brookline, Massachusetts, still require masks outdoors, despite CDC guidance? Different people are comfortable with different levels of risk and change, scientists say, urging empathy as U.S. towns unmask at their own pace.

Brooke McDonald’s walk to work begins at her dorm on Boston College’s campus. The school maintains specific safety rules for its students, including an outdoor mask mandate. So as she exits, her mask stays on. 

But as she rounds Chestnut Hill Reservoir and enters Brighton, those rules expire. Per updated state orders, face coverings are no longer...