Despite COVID-19 cases being below what was seen during the pandemic, mask mandates are starting to spring up all over the United States.
An Atlanta college has imposed a mask mandate, Rutgers University in New Jersy is imposing a vaccine mandate, and now hospitalization systems are reinstating mask-wearing demands for staff, patients, and visitors.
New York-based United Health Services is reinstating its masking policy that was effective August 23, 2023.
“Because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases, masks are once again required in all clinical areas at UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS Binghamton General Hospital, UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital and UHS Delaware Valley Hospital, as well as primary and specialty care sites,” UHS wrote in an announcement on its website.
“The new policy is in effect immediately for all patients, visitors, employees, medical staff, volunteers, students and vendors,” the statement continued.
Auburn Community Hospital in New York also joined the mandate as well as a California healthcare system.
In Texas, a school district in South Texas closed from August 22-25 after seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community is a top priority,” Superintendent Hector Dominguez Jr. said in a statement.
According to the school district’s website staff members had 10 active cases.
The mandates come amid Biden’s request that Congress give him additional funding for a “new vaccine” that “works.” He also eluded that the administration is going to take another swing at a vaccine mandate.
“Yes, I can. As a matter of fact, I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is ne- — necessary — that works,” Biden said to a reporter at a press gaggle in California. “And tentatively — not decided finally yet — tentatively, it is recommended that — it will likely be recommended that everybody get it no matter whether they’ve gotten it before or not.”
We’ve heard wishy-washy lingo from the president like that before.
On December 5, 2020, then-President-elect Joe Biden said he did not believe the COVID-19 vaccine should be mandated.
We all know how that turned out.
