Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is opposing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest mask recommendation reversal.
Earlier this month, the agency suggested vaccinated students do not need to wear masks. Now, less than three weeks later, they recommend masks regardless of vaccination. If schools implement CDC guidelines, which are mere suggestions, not law, students in K-12 would be expected to wear masks for up to eight hours a day in school. DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, told reporters, “It isn’t based in science. There is no indication that areas with mask mandates have performed any better than areas without mask mandates.”
Pushaw continued, “Mandating masks for vaccinated people erodes public trust and confidence in the effectiveness of the vaccines. To me, it appears that the government wants to be perceived as ‘doing something’ during a seasonal infection surge, even if their policy does not necessarily make people safer.”
The CDC’s COVID-19 guidelines have caused controversy and distrust in the agency. In March, they suggested the fully vaccinated continue wearing masks, by May, they changed course and gave the fully vaccinated the choice to not wear a mask.