It's Time for a Statewide Mask Mandate
I've seen enough, it's time to give the mask mandate in Anchorage teeth and it's time for the state of Alaska to issue a statewide mask mandate. Reality Check: Because a global pandemic has been politicized for the first time in modern history, the Governor of Alaska is unlikely to issue one, even though it is almost certainly in the best interest of the people he was elected to watch over, as Alaska has seen 17 straight days of +100 cases in the state and 232 new cases in our state today.
Alaska DHSS in this week's case count summary said:
"If Anchorage were its own state, its 7-day case rate (18.4) would put it at rank #6, between Utah and Idaho, and if Fairbanks were a state, its 7-day rate of 33.6 would make it #5 in the nation, just behind Montana."
How much more scientific proof is needed to justify a statewide mask mandate? Answer: None.
Republican Texas Governor Gregg Abbott issued a mask mandate for his state in July. There is currently a statewide order in Texas that states that individual people must wear masks or face coverings in most public places. First-time violators in Texas are issued a warning, though repeat offenders could be fined up to $250. Let's do that in Alaska.
Thirty-three states currently require people to wear face coverings in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also have mask orders in place.
Previously, Governor Mike Dunleavy said he is not willing to take "universal approaches" to managing the coronavirus pandemic.
Mask-wearing has been politicized and is now seen as a left or right political issue, but the science behind mask-wearing doesn't lie and it's both incredible and sad that we are still having the mask discussion in the United States.
A research paper, "Comparing Associations of State Reopening Strategies with COVID-19 Burden," published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine says, "On average, the number of excess cases per 100,000 residents in states reopening without masks is ten times the number in states reopening with masks after 8 weeks."
The CDC says on its website:
- CDC recommends that people wear masks in public settings and when around people who don't live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- Masks may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others.
- Masks are the most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.
If Governor Dunleavy were truly interested in "following the science," and not just one piece of it, he would institute a mask mandate that permitted enforcement.
With 17 straight days of +100 COVID-19 cases in Alaska and a potential super-spreader event in Anchorage, it's time to put the health of Alaskans over any loyalty the Governor might feel to our COVID-19 infected President, who at this very moment, while still reportedly positive with COVID-19, is having another public event at the White House.
