More blue states concede in the mask mandate war

by mcardinal

Marion Bae, FISM News

 

Mask mandates are on the decline as several Democrat-led states have rescinded orders in recent days or announced their intention to do so. New York and California, two of the biggest Democrat strongholds which instituted some of the nation’s most intense COVID-19 policies, are the latest to join this trend.

On Monday, California governor Gavin Newsom announced via Twitter that indoor mask mandates would end on Feb. 15:

He made it clear, however, that this rule was for vaccinated individuals only, and that any unvaccinated individuals needed to continue to mask up indoors. He also used the opportunity to encourage people to get vaccinated and “boosted.” Officials also later clarified that masks would still be required in high-risk areas, including schools, health care facilities, and on public transportation.

This announcement from the California governor comes a week after controversy spread regarding a photo in which he appeared unmasked at an NFL game, in direct defiance to orders he had put in place.

In a similar move, Governor Kathy Hochul announced during a press conference on Wednesday that New York’s indoor mask mandate would expire on Thursday. 

She started her address by saying “the COVID clouds are parting,” before detailing and defending the history of the state’s actions in response to COVID-19. She then made an official announcement, saying, “At this time, we say that it’s the right decision to lift this mandate for indoor businesses and let counties, cities and businesses to make their own decisions on what they want to do with respect to mask or vaccination requirement.” 

Hochul said that the mask mandate will stay in effect for hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, transportation and schools. The school mandate will be reevaluated at the beginning of March.

This announcement by Hochul comes after her mask mandates have come under fire. The state’s Supreme Court ruled to end the governor’s mandate on legislative grounds, only for the ruling to by stayed a day later in an appeals court. 

Other blue states preceding New York and California in dropping broad spectrum mask mandates include Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Pennsylvania already ruled to allow a loosening or end to mask enforcement in schools, and Delaware’s school mask mandate will not be renewed when it expires on March 31.

While many are celebrating the loosening of restrictions some are wondering, “Why now,” as the CDC has reiterated that they believe it is not the time to scrap masks in schools or public areas. Many believe that the Democrats have finally started to succumb to the pressure of their constituents as more and more polls show that Americans are moving towards a desire for things to return to normal. Also, with multiple prominent Democratic officials being seen without masks, officials have lost the credibility to enforce these mandates in the eyes of the public.

Parents at a school outside of Chicago were protesting their states vax mandates, reiterating some of these sentiments. “I’m standing up for my kids,” parent Suzette Kallhoff told WGN News. “Everyone’s had time to get vaccinated, the masks haven’t made a difference with cases, the studies are shown and enough is enough.”

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