COVID-19: When Will We Move On?

Cities and states across the nation are lifting their mask and vaccine mandates over the next few weeks. Their leaders are "listening to the science" that now tells us single masking is ineffective, it's damaging to kids to be masked all day in school, and there is no longer a need to keep mandates in place. But now that liberal news outlets are sharing the news of COVID restrictions going away, why are so many liberals protesting these changes? The majority of the country is ready and willing to move on together, but many still aren’t. Will they ever be?

Major Cities Make Moves

When Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced that Washington, D.C. would end its requirement for people to show proof of vaccination when entering businesses, along with the mask mandate, over the next few weeks, her justification in loosening the reins was the rapid decline in COVID-19 cases in her city. Masks will still be required in schools and on public transportation until further notice, however.

The great state of New York is also dropping its "vaccine-or-mask" requirement for businesses, though restrictions in schools, healthcare facilities, and on public transportation will remain. The seven-day average of cases is now less than 35 per 100,000 people in New York. At its peak on January 9, there were 382 positive cases per 100,000. Governor Kathy Hochul shared that the mask mandate for schools will be reevaluated in early March. Jay Worona, the general counsel for the New York State School Boards Association, observed that he understood frustration from parents and said he’s "hoping that all the decisions that are going to fall into place are going to be consistent with what science and metrics are telling us."

Listening to Science

Since the pandemic started, the catchphrase coined by Dr. Anthony Fauci and reiterated by government officials was "listen to the science." Many Americans did that, masking up for months and getting the vaccine to achieve what was promised: normalcy - and when normalcy still hadn’t come by the end of 2021, Americans expressed their anger with those officials who misled them.

One major hot-button issue has been the mask mandates in schools. We’ve seen parents, teachers, and school administrators fight for and against the requirements. Loudoun County, VA has been at the forefront for parents fighting to rescind mask mandates for their children.

Los Angeles hosted the Super Bowl with over 70,000 attendees, including dozens of celebrities. While the professional athletes, influencers, artists, and actors flaunted themselves maskless, Los Angeles County requires kids to wear "well-fitted, non-cloth masks with a nose wire" both inside and outdoors. Although research has found that masks can be beneficial in fighting the spread of COVID-19 - or so we have been told - for children, the benefits are infinitesimally small. Long-term harm, on the other hand, is potentially huge. Masking can be a psychological stressor for children and a disruption to learning. It can inhibit both verbal and nonverbal communication and even amplify negative emotions, all while making positive ones less recognizable.

Even CNN now claims "the science has changed." CNN correspondent and health expert Dr. Leana Wen supports states lifting mask mandates in schools and says that "one-way masking" with a high-quality mask can protect you. Dr. Wen also stated that "the responsibility should shift from a government mandate imposed from the state or the local district of the school.” Instead, she would see it “shift to the responsibility of the family who can still decide if their child should wear a mask if needed."

Dr. Wen also stated that we need to stop looking at case counts, "especially when we are dealing with a milder variant and so many people were exposed to Omicron and therefore have at least some levels of protection either through vaccination or immunity." She says the first restrictions that should be lifted anywhere are those imposed on children. According to Wen, there needs to be a discussion about the harm done to young kids by masking and proposed a risk-benefit calculation should be made, citing the damaging effects masks have had on our youngest learners, children with learning disabilities, and kids learning English as a second language.

If CNN is Moving on, Why Can't Everyone Else?

CNN has changed its tune, providing a platform for the facts, figures, and data that, just a couple of months ago, they labeled "COVID misinformation" and "lies." As mandates have been lifted across the country, the uproar has erupted on college campuses and social media. The University of Nevada saw a massive walkout from classes and protests against the Nevada System of Higher Education's (NSHE) rescinded mask mandate. One graduate student and instructor said she "feels incredibly unsafe." She added, "I have no way of knowing how many of my students, how many of my peers, how many people walking past me are unvaccinated and spreading COVID at a much higher rate, putting me and all of my community at risk."

D.C. Councilwoman Brianne K. Nadeau took to Twitter to protest Mayor Bowser's decision. She was faced with both support and backlash, being called both a "hero" and a "Karen."

https://twitter.com/BrianneKNadeau/status/1493279230737661952?s=20&t=Omum7lVdJXYc6IaBAEBA4Q

Most of the country is ready to move on from this pandemic. Companies are dropping their vaccine mandates, government officials are pulling back on restrictions, and Americans are vying to get back to a place that feels at least a little bit like 2019. However, some stragglers still drag their feet, not quite willing to let go of this pandemic. Will everyone in the U.S. ever be willing to put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror and treat it like the flu – or will the holdouts keep us in limbo and continue to obsess over a virus that has taken too much from us already?

~Read more from Keelin Ferris.