COVID Expert Birx: No Need for Mask Mandates

With a resurgence of COVID-19 hospitalizations across the United States, several regions are advocating for or even mandating the reintroduction of mask-wearing measures.

In response to this trend, Dr. Deborah Birx, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, emphasized the importance of empowering people with information rather than resorting to mandates. She stated on Newsmax’s “The Count” with Lidia Curanaj, “Four years in, we don’t need to mandate. We need to actually empower people with the information that they need for themselves and their families because every family is different. And by the way, outside is safe, and playgrounds are safe.”

Numerous places have already implemented mask mandates. For instance, Morris Brown College in Atlanta enforced a two-week restriction on gatherings and mandated mask-wearing among students due to reported positive cases. Hollywood studio Lionsgate briefly required masks on two of its five office floors. Similarly, healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente reinstated mask mandates at its Santa Rosa, Calif., facilities following an increase in positive patient cases.

In New York state, several hospital systems, including United Health Services, Auburn Community Hospital, and Upstate Medical (both university and community hospitals), reintroduced mask mandates. Additionally, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, the largest employer in central New York, announced a mandatory mask policy for all staff, visitors, and patients in clinical areas, effective for at least three weeks, as reported by NPR.

According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States have surged by nearly 19% within a week, and COVID-19-related deaths have increased by more than 21% during the same period.

Birx also expressed concerns about the continued use of COVID-19 vaccines primarily developed based on earlier virus variants. She emphasized the need to adapt vaccines to new variants and target specific demographics that require immunization. She noted, “You know what is amazing to me is we work so hard to bring innovation. The American spirit of innovation and science and data and creating these great new vaccines which were made on an mRNA platform.” She advocated for the ability to quickly modify vaccines to address emerging variants rather than relying on outdated formulations, stating, “So, you could switch them out and make them quickly, and instead of doing that, we’re basing vaccines on old variants rather than the new variants, and we know today exactly who needs to be immunized.”

{Matzav.com}