Happy Monday, DC residents. It’s a good Monday. It’s a terrific Monday for those who are fully vaccinated. You can take your mask off. It’s over. The mandate is done. Mayor Muriel Bowser finally decided to really do it, stating as of today—the mask regime is over (via WaPo):
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said she is lifting the mask mandate in the city as of Monday, bringing the city in line with other jurisdictions in the region that already lifted their mandates.
Bowser said fully vaccinated people only need to wear a mask or social distance in places where it is required — including public transportation, schools and child-care facilities, health-care settings, homeless shelters and correctional facilities. The governors of Virginia and Maryland lifted the masking mandate in their states last week.
Bowser said those who are not fully vaccinated — meaning two weeks have elapsed since their final dose of vaccine — should continue to wear masks.
[…]
The shift, which is expected to be approved by the county council during its meeting on Tuesday, was triggered because 60 percent of residents have received at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has lifted the city's mask mandate, matching the CDC's recommendation.
— DCist (@DCist) May 17, 2021
Masks are still required on public transit, in schools, and some other public areas.https://t.co/EgNBAzKxzm pic.twitter.com/5tuvAGCWS6
D.C. on Monday changed its mask guidance consistent with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced. https://t.co/SQiPvMPdck
— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) May 17, 2021
Now, there’s a catch. Bowser tried to roll back the mask mandate in early May and backtracked. We’ll see if this deep-blue bastion abides by the science or not. It just tickles me how in March the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned about “impending doom,” only to roll back key provisions when their noble lie about COVID blew up in their faces. Texas has been open for weeks. No spike has occurred. Florida is not a graveyard. This virus has a survivability rate of 90+ percent. This theater production by the panic peddlers was never going to last as long as they wanted, especially when it comes to this atrocious COVID passport idea. Costco, Starbucks, Walmart, and other locations are ditching their mask mandates. In Virginia, it’s virtually been nixed for the vaccinated, with indoor capacity caps and social distancing guidelines being scrapped by May 28.