17 US states Now Not Requiring Masks.

[Shawnster]

Texas and Mississippi to lift mask mandates and roll back Covid restrictions

 

Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas would be back open "100 percent" by March 10, and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said his state's mask mandate would end Wednesday.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gov-greg-abbott-lift-texas-mask-mandate-open-state-100-n1259329

[Friends just call me Ross]

The powers that be are more concerned about killing commerce than they are about killing people.

 

[Dustparticle]

Like i said before. Stupidity rules!! And I hope the friends stick with the slave class and have common sense too.

 

[Shawnster]

It will definitely make for a case study.  Putting the current environment to the test.

 

I listen to a sports commentator from Indiana that recently visitedd Alabama.  He wore a mask.  While Alabama has mask mandates, they aren't enforced.  He said when he went into a gas station wearing a mask that he had a lot of funny looks.  Nobody was wearing a mask and he said it was as if you were wearing a mask it was clear you were not from around there.  

[Thesauron]

Is it a political or medical decision?

[Shawnster]

Political based upon the vaccine rollout.  The CDC does not recommend lessening mask regulations. 

 

Quote

 

On Monday the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of a "potential fourth surge of cases" if the country lapsed into complacency.

 

Covid-19 data shows that, while infections and deaths have declined in recent weeks, they are still at high levels relative to other countries.

 

In total, the US has recorded more than 28 million infections and 516,000 deaths related to Covid-19, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56255701

 

Texas and Mississippi are historically staunch politically conservative states and the political conservative party (Republican) followers have been vocally opposed to mandatory mask ordinances.  It's become quite the divisive wedge issue. 

[Bob]

14 states don’t have mask mandates. Florida and South Dakota never had them. 
 

Not a shock. They’re just the latest States to remove the mandate. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Bob

[Mykyl]

The usual system of things looking out for themselves rather than others.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Mykyl

[Bob]

55 minutes ago, Mykyl said:

The usual system of things looking out for themselves rather than others.

Well, keep in mind that those states aren’t telling people to stop wearing masks, they’re saying we are no longer criminalizing non-mask wearing.

 

Where I live, it’s still a crime to not wear one. Those states are decriminalizing it. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Bob

[Shawnster]

1 hour ago, Bob said:

Well, keep in mind that those states aren’t telling people to stop wearing masks, 

It does shift the burden on to the individual.  Like looking both ways before crossing the street - it's up to you to make sure the road is clear.  

 

3 hours ago, Bob said:

14 states don’t have mask mandates. Florida and South Dakota never had them. 
 

Not a shock. They’re just the latest States to remove the mandate. 

The previous list of states and territories without mask mandates 

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/these-are-the-states-with-mask-mandates

 

These are the U.S. states and territories without mask mandates:

Alaska | Arizona | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Iowa | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | North Dakota | Northern Mariana Islands | Oklahoma | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee

[Sequoia]

They are doing this even though health departments have warned against it.

 

Texas joins 17 states without mask mandates - YouTube 

 

The above is on youtube but it's a news report.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Tortuga

[Qapla]

Punctuation is the key - without it the Title of this thread can be read with different meanings ...

• 17 States Now Have "No Mask" Mandates
• 17 States Now Have No "Mask Mandates"

At first glance, when reading the title, one could understand that 17 states have passed mandates that masks cannot be worn, that it is now against the law to wear a mask - when it actually means that 17 states simply do not require masks

 

Perhaps a better wording would be:

• 17 States Now Do Not Have Mask Mandates

 

As a side point, even the actual headline is misleading ... Texas did not join 17 states without mandates - they joined 16 states, becoming the 17th state - if they had joined 17 states it would have made them the 18th state ... but the article clearly says they are the 17th state

Edited March 6, 2021 by Qapla

[Lee49]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/06/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html

 

'We're walking into the mouth of the monster' by loosening Covid-19 restrictions, expert says

 

 

 (CNN)More states are relaxing measures to protect against Covid-19 as variants circulate in the United States -- a combination that means "we're walking into the mouth of the monster," an infectious disease expert said.

  A variant first identified in the UK has now been reported in 2,672 cases in 46 states as of Thursday, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it is spreading quickly.

"We literally are sitting on top of that, at a time when instead of actually getting better prepared for it, we're opening up and inviting the virus in," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

[Sequoia]

18 hours ago, Qapla said:

Punctuation is the key - without it the Title of this thread can be read with different meanings ...

• 17 States Now Have "No Mask" Mandates
• 17 States Now Have No "Mask Mandates"

At first glance, when reading the title, one could understand that 17 states have passed mandates that masks cannot be worn, that it is now against the law to wear a mask - when it actually means that 17 states simply do not require masks

 

Perhaps a better wording would be:

• 17 States Now Do Not Have Mask Mandates

 

As a side point, even the actual headline is misleading ... Texas did not join 17 states without mandates - they joined 16 states, becoming the 17th state - if they had joined 17 states it would have made them the 18th state ... but the article clearly says they are the 17th state

Well I can't edit it now.  But it is true that 17 states in the US are not requiring masks they don't prohibit them.  Although I don't know why anyone would think that they prohibit them.

18 hours ago, Lee49 said:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/06/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html

 

'We're walking into the mouth of the monster' by loosening Covid-19 restrictions, expert says

 

 

 (CNN)More states are relaxing measures to protect against Covid-19 as variants circulate in the United States -- a combination that means "we're walking into the mouth of the monster," an infectious disease expert said.

  A variant first identified in the UK has now been reported in 2,672 cases in 46 states as of Thursday, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it is spreading quickly.

"We literally are sitting on top of that, at a time when instead of actually getting better prepared for it, we're opening up and inviting the virus in," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

The variant first found in South Africa has been discovered in the United States as well.

[Tortuga]

1 minute ago, JW2017 said:

Well I can't edit it now. 

Any of the Moderators would be happy to help you and edit it if you wish. I think we all understand what you meant but let us know if you think the title needs to be edited.

 

Any additional off-topic comments should be done privately.

[Qapla]

I live in one of those states that does not have a mask mandate ... it can make it difficult when going in public when some use caution and others act as if there is no concern for public safety since there is no mandate.

 

Like was brought out in the GB update - we need to stay vigilant and not relax our precautions.  This world is more concerned with the economy than they are with health and welfare.

 

Texas has lifted their mask mandate for financial greed not because they think the pandemic is over

Edited March 7, 2021 by Qapla

[runner92]

This is so sad. My state mandates, but it's obvious that it's not inforced where I live. People walk around and in and out of businesses with no masks all the time. This is why I refuse to go inside places.

Edited March 7, 2021 by runner92

[Lee49]

 Tennessee is ending the mask mandate and of course Nashville is slowly opening up with bars now allowed to stay open longer ( 1 am ) and more  occupants allowed in bars/restaurants. A news report yesterday was showing that many businesses/restaurants were moving to Florida especially from the New York area because of the more relaxed covid laws! Also with spring break in Florida and the Daytona bike week with most if not all not wearing mask or having been vaccinated it seems that we are going to see another spike in cases and possibly the spreading of new variants! We, as we are asked, must not let our guard down!

 

[sunshine]

Its madness...it says right on the box that the masks do not stop the virus but it makes  sense to wear them(to protect against the virus).  It's rather selfish in my opinion, even if its bad for ones own health , since you will be protecting others against getting the virus by wearing a mask, as per the information of the boxes.  

 

In any case it is MANDETORY here in France and will, in my opinion be so worldwide eventually (although depending on the culture it may take a few years (and a few court cases).

[Witness1970]

The misunderstanding about the effectiveness of masks stems from the fact that the virus by itself is small enough to pass through the mask.  But when people exhale the virus, it is in a droplet.  This droplet would be caught in the mask.  You wear a mask and it keeps you from spreading the virus to others.  If the virus becomes aerosolized (totally dry), the mask will not stop it and it can travel through the air far more than 6 feet.  The 6 feet distance is a protection from the droplets.  If someone sneezes or coughs, even with a mask on, it would be prudent to head in the opposite direction, because the force of a sneeze might drive the droplet right through the mask.

 

Even wit a mask, your eyes are still exposed. If someone else is not wearing a mask, they can exhale the virus and it can get into the mucus membranes around your eyes.  People who wear eyeglasses are somewhat protected.  My wife and I have had some cheap pairs of safety glasses that wrap around and also cover the sides of our eyes which we purchased 6 months ago.  It just seems logical to protect ourselves against infection.

 

When the statewide mask mandate is dropped, a lot of people will immediately stop wearing masks.  In that case, it is important to keep your eyes covered also to prevent infection.  My wife and I have had our vaccination (2 doses Moderna), but we are still going to wear masks because it is the right thing to do.

 

 

[Tortuga]

8 minutes ago, Witness1970 said:

When the statewide mask mandate is dropped, a lot of people will immediately stop wearing masks.  In that case, it is important to keep your eyes covered also to prevent infection. 

Thats a good reminder. Thanks.

[Honeyflake]

I wonder if the Brothers still Keep social distancing and wear their masks?

[rocket]

50 minutes ago, HoneyflakeT said:

I wonder if the Brothers still Keep social distancing and wear their masks?

The Brothers will follow the guidelines handed down from the Branch of which gives consideration to CDC guidelines. CDC guidelines suggest continuing wearing masks and social distancing. 

[zoebarry]

4 hours ago, HoneyflakeT said:

I wonder if the Brothers still Keep social distancing and wear their masks?

Our CO said to us this week that even if the authorities lift safety regulations and precautions, we still may be guided by the GB to shelter in place.

 

Overall, it’s best to wait to hear from the GB for directions NO MATTER WHAT the world says.

 

[Shawnster]

4 hours ago, rocket said:

The Brothers will follow the guidelines handed down from the Branch of which gives consideration to CDC guidelines. CDC guidelines suggest continuing wearing masks and social distancing. 

And, ultimately, all our brothers and sisters are individuals.  Some choose to be more strict in following guidelines than others.  Some take extra precautions that others do not.  The Organization has not mandated Christians wear masks.  Recommended, yes.  Mandated, no.  

 

So, like Lynn here said, the Organization will continue to recommend the best precautions be taken, and it's up to a mature Christian's conscience if they choose to follow the Slave's direction or reject it.