It seems counterintuitive: As COVID-19 infections continue to rise, the nationwide mask mandate has been abruptly dropped for congested public transit spaces such as airports, airplanes, trains and buses.
But that’s today’s reality, due to a Florida federal court ruling on Monday that struck down the mandate — which immediately caused the federal government later that day to declare masks to be optional in those public-transportation hubs. Though free to decide otherwise, local municipalities quickly followed in domino fashion — including here, with mask-optional announcements for the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and for Oahu’s TheBus system.
The Florida ruling is being appealed, rightly — not to reinstate the mask mandate that was set to expire May 3 anyway, but to preserve the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to a future health crisis.
All that reflects changed attitudes after two brutal years of fighting COVID — and what the public, overall, is now willing to tolerate. Masking has become a contentious point of politics — but it’s also true that other anti-COVID tools now exist, including highly effective vaccines for prevention as well as promising drugs for treatment, after infection. Indeed, pharmaceutical strides have brought enormous confidence against COVID, truly worth hailing.
But the grim reality remains: The U.S. is soon expected to reach 1 million deaths from COVID-19, astounding considering the disease came into existence only three short years ago. The novel coronavirus has mutated many times since then — and infectious-disease experts warn that a new variant, or subvariant, is sure to emerge; the only question is how virulent it will be.
Guarding against overconfidence, then, is where we are at this moment. Again, the vaccines remain the best defense, and that includes at least one booster, to help the body’s immune system.
But for further protection, keep those masks at hand. It’s a smart, personal choice — particularly for the immunocompromised and for those in crowded enclosed spaces. That includes, of course, uneasy travelers after Monday’s federal ruling that caused mask mandates to be lifted, leaving a confusing patchwork of behaviors and concerns about COVID spread.
“One-way masking works, if you wear the right mask,” tweeted Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, soon after the ruling. “KN95, KF94 or better. For those at risk from COVID, or who want added safety even as those around them unmask, a high-quality mask worn properly can afford a measurable degree of added protection.”
Especially in a crowded situation, that choice to mask properly will offer the best odds to stay healthy — for you and others around you.
