Mask mandates for indoor and outdoor (yes they appear to be coming back) will have little to no effect in slowing and reversing the current Covid Summer wave. The Sumer wave will reverse when more people get vaccinated and the virus runs out of victims from the unvaccinated population that lack prior infection immunity. This is how and why the Winter Wave ended and it is how and why the Summer Wave will end.
Mask mandates are an attempt of politicians and health policy advisors to make it appear they are "doing" something. Restrictions on outdoor gatherings (concerts/sporting events/etc) make it appear they are "doing" something, but they will have limited impact on the Summer Wave. In fact, outdoor gatherings should be encouraged, particularly in Southern states where the Summer Wave was propelled by people moving indoors. It is effectively Winter in the Southern states. In the South in the Summer, people move indoors where it is air conditioned and humidity is low - a perfect environment for the spread of a respiratory virus.
Bottom line, if you are unvaccinated, you have a much higher risk than a vaccinated person of becoming infected. If you become infected, you have a much higher risk of having a bad outcome than a vaccinated person. If you have immunity from prior Covid infection, you are much better protected than the unvaccinated person. Your risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death is much lower than someone who is unvaccinated and it may be better (see the study I linked yesterday) than the protection from some vaccines.
The CDC, health policy advisors, and politicians are doing a horrible job in communicating the protection people with prior infection immunity have from serious illness. They are lumping this population in with the unvaccinated and it is a mistake. Any guidance with regards to vaccinated and unvaccinated people must include provisions for the previously infected that are inline with vaccinated individuals. Failure to do so, only breads further distrust in those institutions.
I do believe the Summer Wave is close to its peak in the South and other areas of the country. Despite the continued rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, the rates of increase are definitely slowing down. Delta has created more cases, due to its higher transmission levels and it is also creating people with future immunity and protection from future infection. It is a hard way to get out of a wave of infection, but it is a natural process. Vaccines make it much less painful of a process, but many people have chosen to do this the hard way.
So my advice:
1. If you are unvaccinated, get vaccinated. It will be of benefit to you and will be of benefit of those around you who are unvaccinated.
2. If you are vaccinated, feel confident in the vaccines to protect you from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Will there be exceptions? Yes. Will we see some vaccinated people become infected and become seriously ill? Yes. There are some people for whom the vaccines are not as effective. It is an extremely rare condition, but it will happen. For the vast majority of those who are vaccinated, they are very well protected from infection and if they become infected, protected from serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
3. If you have been previously infected, you should be protected from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Just like vaccinated people, there are exceptions to this and you do need to consider how much risk you are willing to accept. I would also advise you consult your doctor about getting at least one dose of a vaccine, since doing so appears to offer even better protection.
4. For schools, we have to stop quarantining vast populations when an exposure occurs. If kids are sick, they need to stay at home. if they are well, they need to be in school. If an exposure happens and the kids have masks on, only the sick should be quarantined. The ones who are not sick should be in school.
5. For outdoor events, masks should not be required. As I said above, outdoor events should be encouraged and they should not be something people fear.