2 Senators Introduce National Face Mask Legislation as U.S. Sees Highest COVID Daily Death Toll Sinc
Source: Newsweek
Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal announced on Wednesday that they would introduce legislation in the U.S. Senate calling for a national face mask mandate.
The legislation, called the Encouraging Masks for All Act, "would encourage states to require the use of face masks in all public spaces and outside when one cannot maintain social distance," according to a press release.
It would provide $5 billion to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which would be made available to states who implement masking requirements. The act would also authorize $75 million in grants for states that promote universal mask wearing.
The announcement comes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, over which millions of Americans are expected to travel across the country despite guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advising otherwise.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/2-senators-introduce-national-face-mask-legislation-as-u-s-sees-highest-covid-daily-death-toll-since-may/ar-BB1bmd6J?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=DELLDHP
AKing
(511 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,292 posts)what's safe to do and what's not. I live in a conservative/republican area. Everyone wears masks inside, but when outside, hardly anyone does. People generally keep a safe distance, too, regardless of where they are.
Ms. Toad
(34,119 posts)That's where a lot of the spread is happening now. It's where my daughter and spouse were exposed. Both of them decided that was "safe to do."
It wasn't.
I haven't been out since businesses here were required to enforce face masks - but mask wearing was less than 50% in a number of businesses around here the day it was implemented.
DeminPennswoods
(15,292 posts)maybe with a few exceptions.
I have seen maybe a couple of people w/o masks when out shopping although there is an exception for medical reasons to not wear a mask.
Ms. Toad
(34,119 posts)inside homes with friends and relatives - where people seem to think the relationship protects them from COVID.
Which tells me they haven't really figured out what is safe.
EllieBC
(3,043 posts)How do you enforce it in private homes?
With police? Who will likely target minority communities? That will not work.
And when part of our party is hardcore ACAB I highly doubt theyd want enforcement anyway.
Ms. Toad
(34,119 posts)But the risk of not imposing limits is far higher with the exponential growth in cases we are experiencing. I doubled the number of people I know with COVID 19 this week. (From around 12 between March and a week ago, to about two dozen now.)
The city I work in imposed limits of 6 and requires masks when anyone who doesn't live there is present. It was passed by a Democratic city council, and will be enforced by police.
But even setting enforcement aside, the local liquor store and virtually zero compliance - and is now 100% every time I go in there. The day the state order passed, they were actively handing out masks, commiserating with their customers about the govetnment forcing them to wear them - all without a single enforcement action. Some people just need to be told it's against the law to give them the ability to stand up to peer pressure to just "chill" among friends. Just like the liquour store - "Hey, I don't want to - but it's the law."
(and the real point of my post was to point out that people aren't actually figuring out what is safe to do, since there has been a dramatic increase in the predominance of transmission in private residences and gatherings.)
EllieBC
(3,043 posts)for businesses. You arent supposed to mix with people outside your household unless you live alone and then you can have 1-2 people you see. However enforcement on people visiting each other is nonexistent. There arent the police or bylaw resources so they just rely on that most people will follow the rules.
Jack-o-Lantern
(974 posts)but wear a mask to protect themselves and others from death? God forbid.
raccoon
(31,130 posts)sakabatou
(42,189 posts)Polybius
(15,514 posts)Supreme Court kinda sucks now.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)This might be in the proposed act, so my point might be moot. A very strong and widespread public education effort is needed, especially in the states where the Governors refuse to act (SD, FL) or do very little. If we can get the acceptance of masks up north of 90% on a nationwide basis, that would be great. Otherwise, we will have these outpourings of stupidity and ignorance that we have already seen.
As others have said, unless we can get majority control of the Senate, this is DOA. Too bad.
trueblue2007
(17,243 posts)Its come to our attention that masks have not been taken seriously, and, furthermore, there is an uneasy attitude towards wearing masks. (On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear issued a mandatory mask regulation.)
Before you read on, a lot of the following may not seem applicable to you unless you are a Christian, but hopefully you will continue to read. The intent in this case is not to throw around figures and facts and statistics, but to pose several questions a Christian should ask themselves before they walk out the door each day during this pandemic.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
Would Jesus wear a mask if He were walking as a person among us today? We fully believe He would. Jesus would wear a mask because wearing a mask is an act of love. God sees how you wear a mask to protect not only your family, but other families too. God sees how you feel the hot sticky condensation on your face and endure it so that others may survive this pandemic.
Jesus had compassion and empathy. Compassion means that we feel sympathy for others, and empathy causes us to understand what we can do to heal our culture. Jesus said, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.(Matthew 25:40).
Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article244135927.html#storylink=cpy
Polybius
(15,514 posts)He's immune to all diseases.
Stuart G
(38,454 posts)Yes, When you get into a car, you put it on. It saves lives. Many true stories about that....
Mask wearing will be exactly the same. Awful, petty, ugly....but,................
It saves lives......
.....I remember arguing in a high school class that I taught, about .....wearing a seatbelt...
This was long before it became a law in almost all states....(?).
Now, you just do it...same with masks...Everyone will just ....do it..It will become part of the deal...