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To quote the poet Nayvadius Wilburn: “Mask off.”
That was the mentality of three Democratic governors on the East Coast on Monday, as they announced plans to end school mask mandates in their states. It appeared to be a major turning point in the way these governors — whose states enacted some of the strictest Covid-19 mitigation measures at the start of the pandemic — are approaching the virus.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced his state will end its mandate requiring students and school officials to wear masks on March 7. Though the omicron variant caused Covid cases in New Jersey to surge in early January, infections and hospitalizations have since tapered off.
In a statement, Murphy cited the "continued drop" in cases, as well as the "continued growth of vaccinations for our school-aged population," as his rationale for ending the mandate.
Delaware Gov. John Carney announced his state will lift its universal indoor mask mandate Friday, with the mask requirement for schools to be lifted on March 31.
“I want to be clear about this point — COVID is still circulating in our communities," Carney said in a statement. "And the virus still poses a risk of serious illness, particularly among those who are not up to date on their vaccinations. But we have the tools to keep ourselves and each other safe."
And in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said he will recommend the school's mask mandate end Feb. 28, leaving school districts to decide whether to require mask-wearing.
“I think today with boosters, given vaccines, given the N95 masks, you are in a better position to keep yourself safe, your child is in a better place to keep themselves safe,” Lamont said in a news briefing Monday.
The governors' announcements come not only during a time when Covid cases and deaths are declining in their respective states, but also at a time when Americans are increasingly discussing “Covid fatigue” and the nation's willingness to comply with Covid safety measures. Covid variants have shown themselves to be volatile and their impacts unpredictable.
Health officials have warned any change in Covid mitigation policies will need to be written in pencil, but Monday's announcements illustrate a shift in the ways officials who've been wary of the virus are approaching its spread — even if only a temporary one.
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