Nothing stops talking better than having masks on and freezing temperature! I don’t even miss having seforim around as the kahal is definitely catching up with me in speed with every degree down…so, maybe this is one of the ways for our teshuva ….
I notice also people above bragging about visiting shuls while traveling. Could you please limit your rich religiosity for just a little?! The rule about travel is on the books in many schools and minyanim (probably the ones you visited) but is not enforced in many places.
Almost all cases in the Jewish community I know about are brought by travelers – to somewhere or just after return. Many of worldwide outbreaks are tied to vacations or holidays. Variants are also moving this way.