Lifting of coronavirus restrictions must follow CDC guidelines


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Person holding a mask
As mask mandates begin to loosen, it becomes increasingly important for state governments to be conscious of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to ensure the return of normalcy. (Photo courtesy of Anna Shvets via Pexels)

After over a year of masks, social distancing and lockdown, along with thousands of deaths at the hands of the coronavirus, some legislators’ perspectives on coronavirus restrictions seem to have shifted. 

This was the case in Colorado. Colorado has historically been a purple state. In the last couple of years, it has leaned left, which is why it was shocking to hear that Gov. Jared Polis released a new set of coronavirus guidelines which included the loosening of mask mandates. This announcement came two weeks after President Joe Biden said these types of notions are “big mistakes[s]” and were advised  against by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Not only does this move in Colorado put into question how other legislators — such as ones in California — will react, lifting the mask mandate will only prolong the pandemic for everyone. Although lifting some restrictions at a steady pace as more people get vaccinated and new cases slow is understandable, taking a step like this seems to be more political than rational. 

For places like Los Angeles where cases are steady and vaccination will soon be available to people over the age of 16, it makes sense to loosen restrictions. This, however, is not the case in Colorado where coronavirus numbers are still on the rise, especially after the party at University of Colorado Boulder where hundreds of college students gathered without masks or regard for the pandemic. In addition, only 15% of Colorado is immune to the virus; the state has not yet reached the herd immunity necessary to begin having discussions of lifting mask mandates. 

Although the mask mandate will only be lifted in green level areas and are still a requirement for students aged 11 to 18, there seems to be political and economic undertones behind this decision. 

Many people — from all political sides — were against mask mandates, but some right leaning groups have particularly struggled with following requirements since the beginning, and this has led to a lot of pressure in state governments to reopen quickly. This was seen in Texas, where the mask mandate was lifted not long ago, and now in Colorado.

There are also economic undertones to this decision. Polis never wanted to go into a lockdown in the first place, worrying about the businesses that supported his election campaign. The decision to lift the mandate for masks should be made for the right reasons — without political or financial influences — and should keep in mind the potential lives that will be endangered by this decision. 

Colorado’s rash decision is not a one-off, considering USC sent out a letter just last week that described lifting more restrictions, such as extending library time and campus activities, despite the increase in travel over the past week that caused a rise in cases on campus. Legislators around the United States, and especially in L.A., who are seeing similar agitation, must not give into irrational demands to take steps toward reopening that are too large. Instead, they must take slow steps that are conscious of CDC guidance to not only ensure that normalcy comes sooner but that lives do not continue to be lost.