COVID mask mandates are back.

The Return of Mask Mandates: What You Need to Know

Nearly ‍one year after President⁣ Joe ‌Biden declared ‌the pandemic over, ​some ‍colleges and work places have reinstituted mask mandates amid reports that the administration is set to roll out new COVID regulations ‍as early as ⁢next month.

The COVID sub-variant, currently known as Eris, which has been seen in more than ⁤50​ countries including Denmark and Israel, has⁣ spurred increasing numbers of medical professionals‌ and health ‌activists‍ to begin calling‌ for a reinstatement of COVID-era⁤ restrictions, including forced face coverings.

However, the public can ‍expect ‌any new regulations⁢ to be met by congressional pushback. Rep.⁤ Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) told The Epoch Times that new mandates⁤ would be “simply inappropriate⁣ for any⁤ level of government.”

“The notion ‌that⁤ certain jurisdictions and institutions would rush⁢ back into mandate mode is not going⁤ to be well received by anyone in this country,” said Mr. Kiley. “The president himself has declared ‍an⁤ end to the national emergency. A review of the ‍evidence around these mandates has not shown a positive health‍ impact.”

Still, in some parts ⁤of the country, mask ​mandates have already arrived. ‍A slight uptick in⁣ the virus led two hospitals in Syracuse, New York, University and Community General, to reimpose mandatory face-masking and COVID testing on Aug. 17, according to local news outlets.

“Effective immediately, mandatory masking is required by all staff, visitors,​ and patients in clinical⁣ areas,” instructed a memo sent to staff and obtained by Syracuse.com. “Clinical ⁣areas are ‌defined as any location patients gather, wait, transport thorough,‌ or receive care.”

In Los Angeles, ‍major Hollywood studio Lionsgate demanded employees cover their faces at its Santa Monica office buildings. The policy was announced in ‌an‍ internal memo obtained by Deadline, demanding that “Employees ‌must wear a medical grade face ⁤covering⁤ (surgical mask, KN95 ⁤or N95) when indoors except when alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking‍ at their desk or workstation, or if they⁣ are the only individual present in a large open⁣ workspace.”

In Atlanta, Georgia Morris Brown College announced a mask mandate for everyone entering its campus.⁣ In​ an Aug. 20 Instagram post the college stated that “all students ⁤and employees⁣ are required ⁢to wear face masks (staff may remove face ⁤masks when in their offices alone.)”

Health officials are also beginning to urge the‌ return of face coverings among the general ‍public. The Los Angeles​ County Public Health agency has recommended that higher-risk residents need to wear masks, citing a rise in COVID cases.

Further, a new COVID booster shot catered‌ to the​ most recent variant is expected to be rolled out​ next ​month, Centers of Disease Control⁢ and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told NBC News.

“We will likely see this as ⁢an annual COVID shot, just like the ‌flu shot,” said Dr. Cohen.

However, despite the growing concerns, spread of the virus has remained at​ historically low levels. While the average COVID hospitalization rate nationwide rose about 17 percent between June and July, ⁣they remain at a small fraction of what they were ‍a year ago when they measured at more than six times the current admission rates, according to CDC.

Poor Evidence

The‍ issue of mask mandates has become a hot-button issue for many Americans. During 2020 and 2021, when‍ the world was in the grips of the pandemic, masks were widely forced on the population under the belief ⁣that face coverings could prevent the⁢ spread. The CDC enacted a mask mandate on public transportation that was ⁤enacted in February 2021 and‍ extended to May​ 3 while ⁣several private businesses refused entry to citizens who refused ‍to cover their face.

Critics of mandates have ‌cited numerous studies and data suggesting that the effectiveness of masks⁢ in ​preventing the ‌spread of COVID-19 is questionable. They argue that the​ evidence supporting mask mandates⁣ is weak and that individual freedom should be ‌prioritized over government-imposed restrictions.