If you happen to be celebrating Thanksgiving in California's Santa Cruz County this year, you're in for an extra helping of government intrusion thanks to a new mask mandate being levied on all residents whether they're vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus or not.
An indoor mask mandate is now in effect in Santa Cruz County and it covers private settings like a home. https://t.co/WVNohft7wC pic.twitter.com/PhAo1Fpr9y
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) November 23, 2021
The sweeping new mask mandate states that "all persons must wear face coverings at all times when indoors" and says violations constitute "an imminent threat and menace to public health, constitutes a public nuisance, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both."
An accompanying statement released by the county on Facebook made clear that, as it appears, "masks must be worn in private settings, including your home, when non-household members are present."
You may be asking yourself, "There's no way Santa Cruz county, CA really just imposed a new indoor mask mandate that includes private residences, right?!? That's insane"
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) November 23, 2021
Insane perhaps, but true. The order also threatens imprisonment for violationshttps://t.co/jRr4gWuIoO pic.twitter.com/jiq0umNlpo
So if you go visit a friend or relative's private home on Thanksgiving and decide to watch the Raiders take on the Cowboys after lunch, you all better be wearing masks or you could be thrown in the slammer. It's pure insanity and a return to mandates like those implemented back in the days before a vaccine was available.
The only exceptions allowed are for individuals in their own homes when alone or with members of their household, when working in a closed room alone or with others from their household, when actively eating, drinking, swimming, or showering, and when getting a service that requires a mask to be removed.
At least friends and relatives of those in Santa Cruz don't have to wear a mask while showering over the holidays?
The mandate — which took effect just before the start of the holiday party and family gathering season on November 22 — is, at least according to Santa Cruz County officials, aimed at preventing an apparently expected uptick in Wuhan coronavirus cases in the remaining months of 2021 and into the new year.
According to Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newell, a "potential winter surge appears to be a significant threat to the health and safety" to the county. How interesting that Wuhan coronavirus surges are apparently now "seasonal," a characterization that is receiving little to no pushback from the media or elected Democrats.
Careful observers will note that the idea of "seasonal" trends for COVID cases was rebuked by Democrats and the media when Florida had an uptick in Wuhan coronavirus cases, but is apparently now a perfectly fine explanation when a Democrat-run state is affected. Will Governor Newsom suddenly be blamed for allowing his state to become "Killafornia" as Florida's governor was criticized as Ron "DeathSantis" was when his state saw more cases? Unlikely.
When Florida was experiencing the Delta surge
— Christina Pushaw ?? (@ChristinaPushaw) November 21, 2021
vs .
When Michigan just blew through Florida’s peak & cases are still rising
What’s the (D)ifference I wonder? pic.twitter.com/BjI1mQBZ0W
That said, it's unclear how county authorities plan to enforce the mandate on private homes over the Thanksgiving weekend and into the foreseeable future. Does the county plan on doing door-to-door spot checks on private residences on Thanksgiving or otherwise? Will they troll social media to find pictures of individuals violating the mandate and then dispatch authorities? Perhaps officials will rely on snitches who report their non-complying and perhaps (gasp) conservative relatives?
The mandate has no set end-date and "will remain in effect" until it is rescinded or superseded by county officials. That means residents and visitors could face the broken promise — made by Democrats, including President Biden, that fully vaccinated Americans could ditch their masks — through the holidays and into the new year.
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