Editorial: No More Mask Mandates

Although Governor Phil Scott lifted the Mask mandate for Vaccinated people on May 14 2021, it still feels like there is a mask requirement.

He lifted that mandate to move forward with the “Vermont Forward Plan'' ,yet people still have to wear masks in stores, schools, and other public places. Not all stores require them because they have the option, but schools are still requiring them as well as other public places .

86% of VT has been Vaccinated as of January 18, 2022.

Some people find this very unnecessary to have to keep wearing masks, especially since the paper masks that most people wear do not protect against viruses as it says on the box.

On almost all of the boxes of paper masks they say “THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A RESPIRATOR AND WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY PROTECTION AGAINST COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) OR ANY OTHER VIRUS OR COTANIMENTS.” In spite of certain masks products saying this on the box, places are still requiring masks.

In his press conference on November 11, 2021, Governor Phil Scott stated that you should still wear a mask indoors even if Vaccinated. "There’s a social science to this and sometimes forcing people or potentially trying to force people into doing something they don’t want to do just hardens them and they’re going to resist. "I do not think mask mandates will move us towards our goals and I think we need to move out of a perpetual state of mandates."

Governor Phil Scott stated that forcing people will just make them resist and not wear the mask if they keep pushing the mask mandate on people.

I strongly agree with the governor. Pushing this on people will just make them not want to wear the mask more because people have been wearing masks for a year and a half now. Even though the governor said when 80% of VT is vaccinated the mask mandate will be lifted, it is still here.

Overall the mask mandate needs to be lifted because, as clearly stated, some masks do not help and VT is vaccinated.