On Wednesday, Gov. Tate Reeves lifted a statewide mask mandate that state health officials — along with the governor himself — had said played a significant role in turning the tide of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the state.
Wednesday’s decision, which defied the advice of medical experts, including state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs, is illogical and ultimately a set-back that may negate much of the progress made over the past two months.
Since implementing the statewide mask order in August, the average number of new cases has been cut in half and hospitalizations are down by two-thirds.
Reeves called those declining numbers “a testament” to mask-wearing and other statewide precautions implemented during the summer.
It is beyond mystifying why the Governor would cease one of the measures that has proven to be effective in reducing COVID cases and deaths. Mississippi has recorded almost 100,000 cases and 3,000 deaths from COVID-19 since March.
As news of Reeves’ decision spread, local governments moved quickly to mitigate the potential damage, Columbus mayor Robert Smith said the city’s mandate that went into effect in March will continue. He said after talking with other mayors, mask mandates in Starkville, West Point and Tupelo will remain in effect.
While the Governor’s decision does not invalidate the mask mandates imposed by cities, it does undermine those efforts and create confusion.
Reeves justified his decision by saying, “We should not use the heavy hand of government more than it is justified. We have to tailor our actions to the current threat, and make sure we don’t go beyond what is reasonable.”
We find fault in every assumption made in that statement. Requiring masks during a pandemic is not heavy-handed. It’s a reasonable precaution based on the expert advice of our medical experts. Far from being heavy-handed, the mask requirement is government living up to its responsibility to protect public health.
As far as tailoring actions to the current threat, we believe the mandate is precisely the action required. All the credible evidence supports this.
There is an old saying that goes, “lead, follow or get out of the way.”
Based on what we are seeing from the governor, getting out of the way seems the best option for him.
Thankfully, our local mayors are again shouldering the leadership role in keeping citizens safe.
So we urge citizens to do what you know must be done: Keeping wearing masks. It’s been proven to work.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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