In many regards, mask mandates are on their way out of American society. Fewer businesses today require customers to mask up; in fact, many stores no longer have their mask signs up. Some establishments have even gone viral for putting up signs saying that they do not want people wearing masks in their places of business.
Mask mandates have been controversial from the jump. The true efficacy of masks remains questionable; moreover, many Americans take issue with governments or even the private sector demanding people to cover their faces.
While mask mandates are becoming less and less prevalent, there are certain sectors where they linger; the travel industry is a great example, as Breitbart News notes. This also explains why Republicans are urging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to scrap mask mandates for Americans who are completely vaccinated.
Putting an End to Mask Requirements for Travel
Yesterday, multiple Senate Republicans spoke out against mask mandates for U.S. travelers. GOP Sens. Ted Cruz, Roger Wicker, Susan Collins, Marsha Blackburn, Cynthia Lummis, and Jerry Moran called for an end to the CDC’s travel mask mandate.
It’s long past time for Joe Biden and the CDC to follow the science and end their mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on public transportation.
We should be able to travel to celebrate Independence Day without having to follow an outdated and unnecessary mandate.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 26, 2021
These Republicans senators communicated via a resolution their interest in ending the mask mandate. The GOP lawmakers noted that more than 150 million U.S. citizens are fully inoculated against coronavirus; in making this note, Republicans also pointed out that across the country, mask mandates are no longer in effect.
Why did Facui trust China's lab over Tennessee's coronavirus research lab? pic.twitter.com/dHKe4Bb6iJ
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) June 25, 2021
Finally, the group of Republican lawmakers declared that both the CDC and President Biden ought to follow science and act accordingly. As of Friday night, the CDC did not issue any public response to the urging from GOP senators.
The Element of Theater
Weeks ago, GOP Sen. Rand Paul pointed out that face masks have largely turned into a show of theater.
There are some leftists who have taken to social media, openly declaring that they’ll continue to mask up, even post-vaccination so that they are not mistaken for Republicans or conservatives. Some officials have boldly stated that wearing a face covering has to do with making folks around them feel good or feel safe.
Biden wearing a mask on zoom is so absurd pic.twitter.com/b7dg3pjO5x
— Annika H Rothstein (@truthandfiction) April 23, 2021
Thus far, some studies have come to light suggesting that COVID particles are much smaller than that of most face coverings. This, again, would give credence to the idea that mask requirements are just about theater at this point.
Another great example of this is a fully vaccinated President Biden choosing to wear a face mask while on a video conference with other world leaders.
Do you think the CDC should lift the travel mask requirement for Americans who are fully immunized against COVID-19? Be sure to let us know your thoughts about the current status of face coverings in the comments section below.
