by Sarah Meiselman
On Saturday, August 14, 2021, an anti-vaccination rally in Los Angeles City Hall ended with one person being stabbed and a reporter assaulted, according to the protestors and police at the event. The entire rally was built around the rules requiring COVID-19 vaccinations in some places, the potential vaccination passports, and mask requirements in most places. The planned rally began with several hundred people holding signs asking for “medical freedom” and holding American flags. An unplanned fight broke out between the protesters and the few dozen counter protesters that had been gathering. The counter protesters were seen to be spraying mace and the protesters were heard making death threats. The investigation into the culprit who stabbed the person is ongoing, but the anti-masking protesters have claimed the victim who was stabbed was a member of their rally. Another victim of this fight was a KPCC reporter who was kicked and verbally attacked by anti-mask protesters while trying to conduct an interview.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been hearing news stories like this one. Most everyone has strong opinions about the mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccinations, mostly involving the rights of individual Americans opposing the need for the decline in coronavirus cases. In this article are the differing opinions of some politicians on these issues and key facts about COVID-19.
Masks were one of the first steps most people took to prevent themselves from getting the coronavirus. Masks protect both the person wearing it and those around that person, not only from COVID-19, but also from many other respiratory viruses. Even if someone is vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Rochelle explained that on rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others. Due to this new research, the CDC recommends masking indoors for everyone in a county of substantial COVID-19 transmissions, which all of Georgia falls under. Some people infected with COVID-19 do not feel symptoms and do not know they have the virus. These people can still spread the virus and put others at risk, so the requirement of wearing a mask significantly reduces the likelihood of these asymptomatic people transmitting the virus. These reasons contribute toward the nationwide masking that started at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak and still has not gone away.
At an Elementary school in Cherokee County, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said, among other things, that some people may never be willing to get the coronavirus vaccination and he does not see the necessity in COVID-related mandates, saying he did not believe “we need to have a dictatorship in government.” He also stated, “This is not preventing anyone from wearing a mask if they’d rather do that or feel uncomfortable, but it’s not forcing a mandate that really at this point is divisive with our society. We should be focused on getting people vaccinated.” The politicians that ban mask mandates and vaccine passports are usually not anti-government, as some people view them, but instead they have a different view about how the government should use its power.
Switching over to Arizona, using the federal virus relief funds he controls, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey created a $163 million school grant program. However, schools that have mask mandates or need to close because of COVID-19 outbreaks will not be eligible for the added $1,800 per student. Responding to this news, Democratic House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding said, “It’s a sickening irony that he’s doing this by dangling millions of federally provided funds for COVID-19 relief and forcing school districts to choose between the health and safety of kids and educators, or millions in additional funding that Republicans have withheld for years. With the delta variant running rampant and COVID-19 cases among children on the rise, it’s disgusting to put a bounty on spreading this illness to kids and punishing schools that try to operate safely.” Arizona is one of eight states that have laws or executive orders banning mask requirements in public schools. Arizona has also seen coronavirus cases swell in the last six weeks, with many school districts having large outbreaks. State health officials on August 17, 2021, reported 2,661 cases and three deaths from the virus.
The COVID-19 vaccine is another step many have taken to lower their risk in getting the coronavirus. Vaccines prevent people from getting viruses and can lessen the effects of the virus by holding a weakened or dead form of a virus and injecting it into the body, allowing the immune system to recognize and fight the virus if the person is ever exposed to it. COVID-19 vaccinations reduce the risk of the coronavirus and its potentially severe complications. In clinical trial settings, all COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use in the United States protect people against COVID-19, including severe illness. So far, in real-world conditions, these vaccines are working well and are effective.
The New York City vaccine mandate requires that customers and staff are vaccinated at indoor dining establishments, indoor gyms and fitness studios, and indoor entertainment venues and performances. On the other side of the issue, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas does not allow state agencies and organizations that receive state funding to require vaccines for consumers. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission issued a warning on August 12, 2021, saying that restaurants and bars that ask customers to show proof of vaccination may have their liquor licenses revoked.
At the end of July 2021, Joe Biden announced that federal employees would need to get vaccinated or get tested regularly for Covid, wear a mask, and use social distancing in their workplace. On August 23, 2021, the Food and Drug administration, also known as the FDA, gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine for people ages 16 and up. Biden viewed this as another opportunity to voice his support for COVID-19 vaccine requirements in the workforce, which are allowed under the protection of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Biden said, “If you’re a business leader, a nonprofit leader, a state or local leader who has been waiting on full FDA approval to require vaccinations, I call on you now to do that. Require it.”
The nation is divided on how far is too far when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions. The coronavirus did not only become a health issue when it became a pandemic, it became a political issue as well. While some people think that many states are being too severe in their mandates, others believe that states are putting out too many mandates and taking away the rights of American individuals. Either way, these issues will not go away soon.
