Late last week the Centers for Disease Control announced it was time to "give people a break" and pull back on Wuhan coronavirus mask guidance.
Conveniently, the guidance to drop masking comes right before President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday night.
"We need to be prepared and we need to be ready for whatever comes next. We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when our levels are low, and then have the ability to reach for them again if things get worse in the future," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Friday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the CDC's convenient timing on ending mask mandates and claimed the decision was purely scientific.
Psaki says that the last minute change of congressional mask rules "had nothing to do around the timing of the State of the Union" address. pic.twitter.com/1J19i6ZfJH
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 28, 2022
She doubled down on the claim during an interview with Fox News Tuesday morning.
Psaki once again defends the *very convenient* change to masking rules just before Biden's State of the Union address. pic.twitter.com/qznAalN7y8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 1, 2022
But a number of doctors are calling out the CDC for not making the change earlier and for presenting dishonest arguments to the American people.
Public health betrayal in two maps.
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) February 25, 2022
L: Previous CDC mask guidelines, based on transmission, recommended masking for 94% of counties
R: New CDC mask guidelines, that de-emphasizes COVID spread, now only recommends masking for 37% of counties pic.twitter.com/KNRN2wyMd3
The CDC masking guidance is shifting from number of cases to considering hospitalizations - a change that should have been made over a year ago.
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) February 26, 2022
Instantly, their recommendation went from 95% of the country should wear masks to 70% should not.
Because, Science™?
Tying masking to hospitalizations is like deciding to wear a raincoat based on how high the river is running
— Vinay Prasad, MD MPH ????? (@VPrasadMDMPH) February 26, 2022
It doesn't make sense even if you believe masks slow spread or have value post vaccination
CDC keeps spending credibility https://t.co/6DfytzIlXi
Interesting timing for CDC to announce eliminating their masking & distancing orders for children & the “vast majority” of Americans— a new war, hrs after a Supreme Court pick is named, late on a Friday afternoon, and 2 business days before a SOTU speech?? https://t.co/Qt6oJqTzLf
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) February 25, 2022