The CDC updated its mask guidance to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. It now recommends that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with “substantial” or “high” transmission of Covid-19, which includes large portions of the country, especially in the South and Missouri. Whether to impose mask mandates to implement this guidance remains a state and local decision.

The new CDC guidance will no doubt go over well with the COVID-Denier crowd that got us into this COVID resurgence mess by refusing to wear masks or get vaccinated. If it weren’t deadly serious, the prospect of returning to mask requirements or guidance due to the actions or inactions of those who hate wearing masks would be comical.

Those who oppose mask mandates argue that they violate their freedom and liberty (who cares who else may be affected?). Yet in the absence of mandates, some anti-maskers have mocked those who had continued to wear masks, either on a large scale (see Tucker Carlson and Rand Paul), or in individual confrontations in public. Why??

If freedom and liberty require allowing those who don’t want to wear a mask the ability to forego a mask, then doesn’t that same freedom and liberty require that those who choose to wear a mask be allowed to do so without being harassed? And why do anti-maskers care?  What is it to them if somebody else wears a mask? It may help to protect their health, or the health of others – but at worst, it does no harm.

We have reached an odd point in America where those whose actions (attending superspreader events) or inactions (not wearing a mask or not getting vaccinated) exacerbate the spread of a highly contagious disease demand to be left alone, with no consequences for their decisions (“No vaccine passports!”), but believe it is their right to harass those who take steps to promote community health.

We also have idiot governors like Ron DeSantis, who claims to be a conservative (i.e., in favor of small government and relying on private enterprise), imposing government restrictions on the types of health-promoting measures that private businesses can impose on their customers and others who come onto their property.

Cruise lines want to use vaccine passports, to help prevent their ships from becoming floating petri dishes for new COVID variants, which would once again cripple their business. But DeSantis said, no, the government knows better than you and prohibits you from taking measures to protect your employees, customers, and your business.  Unfortunately, an appeals court recently reversed itself and has allowed the DeSantis order to stand for now.

It seems that a large segment of the American population has forgotten the “public” and “health” aspects of “public health,” instead focusing solely on avoiding the slightest inconvenience to themselves. And sadly, some elected officials feel the need to pander to them. You would think that all of them would regard possible death or serious illness for them or their loved ones or supporters to be even more inconvenient.