Editorial: Why the California-wide mask mandate makes sense right now (via latimesopinion)
Even with the mask mandate lifted for vaccinated people, some may opt to keep wearing them until the pandemic is over or for other protection.It helps that half of California, including Los Angeles and most of the counties in the Bay Area, reinstated the mask mandate over the summer in response to the Delta variant and the rise in cases and hospitalizations. But there’s been a big difference between going to a store in L.A.
COVID-19 rates have been rising and it’s unclear right now whether that’s from the new Omicron variant, which appears to be twice as transmissible as Delta. COVID-19 has been spreading so fast atin New York that the school is going to remote learning and canceling athletics. Evidence of the Omicron variant was found in a significant number of the cases, the university announced.
In the absence of clear knowledge about the threat of Omicron, the smart thing to do is act with caution — not with panic. And that’s exactly what this new mask mandate does. No stores need to close, no activities need to be halted. The mandate is temporary for now, lasting one month. Californians are being told to mask up through the holidays, when more people shop and get together and go out to restaurants — and thus are more likely to be exposed to the virus and expose others to it.
By the time the month is over, we should know a lot more about what kind of threat Omicron presents. In the meantime, mask wearing has reduced the incidence of regular colds, flu and bronchitis during the worst of the pandemic. Thesays masks played a role in slowing the transmission of those other diseases, and the common cold and other familiar respiratory illnesses returned when masks came off.
It’s disappointing that the world hasn’t managed to crush COVID-19 nearly out of existence, and the return to masks is a dispiriting reminder of that. We’ve learned so much and are living so much better today than 20 months ago. But this is a battle where we cannot yet claim a victory. For now, wearing a mask is not a terrible imposition on our quality of life. Even better — get fully vaccinated.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Why It Feels Like “Everyone” Has COVID Right NowFor a lot of people, yesterday felt like a mini-version of March 2020.
Leer más »
Why Russia has never accepted Ukrainian independenceFor centuries Ukraine had anchored Russia’s identity. The idea of Kyiv as just the capital of a neighbouring country was unimaginable to Russians. But not to Ukrainians
Leer más »
Why have Danes turned against immigration?Denmark may be the world’s second-happiest country, according to a recent survey, but its happiness feels fragile especially with immigration woes
Leer más »
Why your favorite grocery store products are suffering from 'shrinkflation'The prices of your favorite products haven’t changed, but you may still be paying for the 40-year record high inflation. Here’s why.
Leer más »
Why China and Russia are partnering upChina and Russia are finding a common enemy in the West, and that is leading them towards a stronger partnership
Leer más »
Why Mark Meadows' use of personal email accounts matters.MaddowBlog: If Hillary Clinton's email protocols were a major national story for over a year, Mark Meadows' use of private email accounts matters, too.
Leer más »