Democratic governors to ease mask mandates despite CDC guidance

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Several Democratic governors announced plans to loosen mask requirements despite CDC’s guidance for masking in schools,
• The announcements come after President Biden’s approval in the handling of the pandemic has dropped.
• Recently, some Democrat leaders have also recently been slammed for their lapses in masking in public. 

Democratic governors in several states are reversing mask mandates despite CDC’s guidance that still calls for masking in schools and many other indoor settings.

On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Delaware Governor John Carney and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced some reversal of indoor masking mandates.

Mask mandate in indoor spaces for vaccinated individuals in California will be lifted. Delaware will also drop its indoor mask requirement while New Jersey and Connecticut are ending universal school masking requirements. 

The White House stands by the CDC guidance for universal school masking and masking in indoor spaces. The Biden administration, which has been critical of Republican governors who’ve tried to lift mask mandates in schools, isn’t rebuking these Democratic governors.

Questioned on the issue, Psaki said the administration recommends that every school district “abide by public health guidelines,” but said it’s always been the White House’s view that decisions should be made at the school district level. 

“We certainly understand and have seen in polling that the public is tired of COVID,” Psaki said. “We understand that. So are we.”

Though “there have been some good signs recently,” Psaki noted that “our responsibility as the federal government is to rely on the data and the science that is being analyzed by our public health experts, and we will continue to rely on that for what recommendations we’re making.”

Midterm elections will be in November and the approval of President Joe Biden’s handling of the pandemic has dropped.

Gov. Murphy barely won reelection in his reliably blue state. 

Recently, some top Democrats have been slammed for their lapses in masking in public. 

Last week, Gov. Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were spotted maskless inside an NFL stadium. Garcetti drew criticism and mockery after claiming he held his breath during the photo-op with former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Stacey Abrams, the Democrats’ gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, was also criticized for going maskless in a classroom surrounded by masked children. Abrams said her critics’ comments were “silly” and a “false political attack” after they called her behavior hypocritical.

Source: CBS News