Who Was That Masked Man?

Today on TAP: It makes good sense to retain the mask mandate, but keeping it is difficult politics.

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Joe Biden just can’t catch a break. In public-health terms, it’s obviously prudent to stay masked until COVID subsides further, especially in planes, trains, buses, subways, and theaters. But people who are sick of wearing masks make a lot more noise than people who quietly wear them.

On Monday, a Trump-appointed judge, Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, struck down the CDC’s latest extension of the mask mandate as unconstitutional overreach. The Biden administration, wary of public opinion, took two days to decide whether to appeal, and at this writing has not requested a stay of the order pending appeal.

As the appeal works its way through the courts, which will take weeks or months, many people will just stop wearing masks; and barring a massive upsurge, it will be very difficult to reinstate the mandate.

More from Robert Kuttner

This is not good policy. There are now about 37,000 new infections per day, an increase of 45 percent over the previous two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risk of long COVID remains a serious problem.

And in fact, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll, a majority of Americans and an overwhelming majority of Democrats favor keeping the mandate. So Biden should be more resolute.

For the moment, sensible mask policy is up to individuals. I happened to go to the dentist last week and I asked my dentist (who was masked) if many dentists catch COVID, since all of their patients have open mouths.

“No,” he replied. “Masks work. They provide a lot of protection even when the other person isn’t masked.”

I will be flying from Boston to D.C. next week for the launch of my new book, Going Big. I’m thrilled that the book is coming out, but this trip doesn’t make me happy. It’s my first air travel in more than two years, and many of the yahoo passengers will be unmasked. I will be wearing a mask, maybe two masks.

Here is the remote link to the event. I wish I could watch it at home, like you.

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