Mask mandate has run its course

EDITORIAL


To some, Ventura County Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin’s decision to extend his mask mandate through at least mid-December was an early Christmas gift. To others, it was a Halloween prank gone wrong.

Even with case rates across the state plummeting and COVID-related hospital admissions at a three-month low in the county, Levin announced Monday that he would continue to require all residents—including those who’ve been inoculated—to wear a mask indoors in public places unless actively eating or drinking.

Levin, who at the outset of the pandemic refused to institute a mask requirement until the state stepped in and who did not move quickly to restore one this summer even as cases spiked, set three conditions for lifting the mandate, the same set forth earlier this month by a group of Northern California counties.

The first two should be no problem to satisfy: a daily case rate of 7 per 100,000 residents for at least three weeks (we’re at 9), and a low and stable number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, a condition we could meet as of today with just 30 patients spread among the county’s nine hospitals.

Where the challenge lies is in the third condition, which says residents will not be able to ditch their masks until (a) two months after a vaccine has been approved for children between the ages of 5 and 11 (currently only 12 and up are eligible) or (b) when 80% of county residents have been fully vaccinated (we’re at 73% now).

Neither of these outcomes is likely before late December—at the earliest—leaving residents to spend another holiday season in everyone’s least favorite piece of attire.

Although we’re two years into this pandemic, the data still remain messy on the effectiveness of mask mandates. While there are a growing number of studies that suggest masks can help limit the spread of the airborne virus, there is no discernible difference in case rates and death rates in counties that are requiring masks indoors and those that are not.

For example, over the past week, Ventura County (which has a mandate) has seen an average of 74.3 cases per 100,000 residents, per the L.A. Times Coronavirus Tracker, compared to 51.6 in Orange County (no mandate). Enough is enough.

Once these three conditions are met, Levin needs to dump mask mandates for good. We’ll have the vaccine for everyone over the age of 4 who wants it. We’ll have booster shots to protect the most vulnerable. And it’s possible we’ll have an FDA-approved oral drug to treat COVID-19 as well.

Businesses must eventually decide for themselves whether they want to require masks of vaccinated people, or anyone for that matter. A few will, most won’t. The same goes for individuals who are always free to wear their mask wherever they go.

We look forward to abandoning our masks by Christmas. Just in time for a whole new season: elections.