Senator warns of resurgence in COVID-19 mask mandates.

Senator Ron Johnson Sounds⁢ the Alarm on Mask Mandates

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sounded the alarm after mask mandates were re-imposed at a small number of offices, hospitals, and schools in recent​ days.

Describing the mandates as “alarming,” Mr. Johnson told Moms for Liberty on Wednesday ‌that they are ineffective⁢ and would keep fighting ‍them.

“It’s alarming that the mandates are kicking in again,” he told the group. “It’s like, ⁣OK, we noticed masks didn’t work, particularly⁤ for‍ children. We always knew they didn’t work for kids.”

The Wisconsin Republican noted that some⁢ “masks might have some marginal⁢ impact,” and “we can’t ⁢deny that fact.⁣ N-95 masks can have some marginal benefits—but not to deny people freedom,” he added.

Mr. Johnson has said he was always skeptical of federal vaccine mandates and has ⁣been an‌ advocate for individuals who claimed an injury ⁣from⁢ COVID-19 vaccines. He also called on the Biden administration to admit that its COVID-19 policies didn’t work.

“They’ll never admit they were wrong in how they​ handled COVID. I don’t see how anybody can take a look at how the federal‍ government—really, over the course of two administrations—how they handled COVID, and‌ say it was anything but a complete and miserable failure,” he told⁢ the ⁣ Washington Examiner in May.

The⁣ White House, the senator added, won’t acknowledge what he ⁣described as the “the incalculable human‌ toll,” the “economic⁣ devastation caused by the shutdowns,” and vaccine injuries.

Mr.​ Johnson’s recent remarks come after Hollywood studio Lionsgate said in a memo earlier this week that it would‌ re-impose a⁢ mask mandate for several floors of its office in ⁤Santa Monica, California. Several hospitals, including some in upstate New‌ York ‍and California’s Bay Area,⁣ also re-implemented their mandates.

“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,” a Lionsgate manager ⁢said in a memo, reported by Deadline.

This week, ⁢Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Rosa, California, ⁢and the Upstate Community Hospital in Syracuse, ​New York, brought back the masking rule for visitors, patients, nurses, and doctors.

“To ensure that ⁣we are helping protect the health⁣ and safety of our patients, our workforce and our community, we have reintroduced ⁤a mask mandate for physicians,​ staff, patients, members, and visitors in the hospital and medical offices in the Santa Rosa Service Area,” Kaiser Permanente said.

Morris Brown College in ​Atlanta also‌ said that masks will be required on campus, ‍saying that it was re-imposed because of a rise in cases on a ⁤larger campus in Atlanta.

“There will be no parties or large student events on campus for ‌the next two weeks,” the ‌school said.

At ‍the⁤ same time, there ​has been ⁤an increase in media coverage about several COVID-19 variants, including one ‍that the U.S. Centers for ⁢Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said could⁢ potentially evade vaccines. The CDC‍ or other federal‌ agencies have not announced any new mask mandates​ or recommendations.

Media Coverage

In recent days, an increasing ⁤number of television doctors have made‍ suggestions that some people start masking again.

“It’s riskier that you will get infected now than it⁤ was a month or two ago, without question,⁣ probably ⁣twice ⁤as risky,” Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of medicine at ⁣the ​University of San Francisco, told CNN⁤ in a recent interview. “If you’re trying to be ⁤careful, it’s time⁢ to whip out ⁣the mask again.”

Also appearing on CNN, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist in Washington D.C., said Tuesday that ‍people who are at risk​ from a COVID-19 infection—including people aged 65 and older—should put masks⁣ on‌ again. He also said that⁢ President Joe Biden should do so, too.

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