Mask mania is back just in time for beach weather. Grab your swimsuit and your N95. Or at least if the CDC has its way.
The percentage of Americans who should be wearing a mask indoors in public spaces or considering the measure is increasing as the country heads into the holiday weekend.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33% of Americans should be masking while indoors and an additional 36% should be considering the measure based on their risk for severe COVID-19 as of Thursday.
We are talking about millions of people.
The CDC’s hit list includes Alameda, Monterey and San Francisco County. Along with much of Oregon. San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County are up to medium level and potentially next on the mask parade.
That covers a bunch of major population centers on the west coast.
6 Washington counties are on the list. And 17 Virginia counties.
Seventeen localities in Virginia rank as high where masking indoors is recommended by the CDC. That includes Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Henrico, Hopewell and Petersburg.
Sixty-three localities in the Commonwealth now rank as medium, including much of Central Virginia.
And a nice chunk of West Virginia.
The CDC updated its mask recommendations this week to include more north central West Virginia counties.
Last week, the CDC recommended residents of 13 West Virginia counties wear masks. This week, it’s recommending residents of 16 counties do so:
The question is will anyone care?
Most of the goodwill has been exhausted and people have been happy to get back to normal. That’s a majority. But vocal minorities are happy to bring back the mask culture wars. And all the ugliness and virtue signaling that comes with it.
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