Washington D.C. — Mask mandates are likely to continue despite the ongoing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Mainstream news outlets are already pushing the narrative that the vaccine is not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. The New York Times reported last week that those who are vaccinated may still be capable of spreading the virus, although they themselves are not sick.
Democrat Governors may be inclined to extend mask mandates under this premise. The potential of spread from vaccinated persons is all speculation, though, and there is no data to show any certainty.
Joe Biden has already announced his intent to implement a nation-wide mask mandate in federally controlled areas for his first hundred days in office. It is not out of the question for this mandate to extend beyond that initial timeline.
Government agencies are once again moving the goalposts when it comes to the COVID-19 end goal.
What was once “fourteen days to flatten the curve” became “shutdowns until there is a vaccine” and is now becoming “shutdowns until eradication.”
That begs the question, where will the goalposts move to next?
With the vaccines distributing now, the expectation is for the entire United States (or at least those who want it) to be inoculated by the end of next summer. It is anyone’s guess how much longer state and local governments will push the lockdown agenda.
Already across the country, lockdowns and mask mandates are becoming politically divisive. Democrat-led states tend to lean more towards these lockdowns.
Twelve states do not currently have a mandatory mask mandate. All twelve of them are run by Republican governors.
The Republican governors who have instituted mask mandates are likely to face more and more pressure from within their party to remove the mandates as time goes on. Time will tell how quickly Republican governors will move in contrast to their Democrat counterparts.
Some people, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, are already speculating that masks will be worn in public well into 2022. Given how quickly and how often things have changed over the last nine months, there is little certainty one way or another.
What impact the vaccines play into the ending of the lockdowns remains to be seen. The vaccines’ effectiveness will become clearer as time goes on, but the real question is whether politicians will listen to the data or create their own narratives to drive their policies.
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Frankly I don’t care what Biden wants or does. I do not intend to honor anything he and Harris come up with. They can take their masks and shove them. I will not continue to wear a mask for a 100 more days no way in hell.