Mask Up! Are Mask Mandates Returning to Arizona?

• With the new COVID variant surge, will Arizona return to mask mandates?

• Some states east of the Mississippi are already returning to mask requirements

• How will Arizona react under the new governor?

Here We Go Again

With the renewed COVID surge, many people in Arizona are beginning to wonder if we'll have a renewed surge in mask mandates.

Turning back the clock to February 2020, Newsweek reported, "Dr. Anthony Fauci wrote in February 2020 that store-bought face masks would not be very effective at protecting against the COVID-19 pandemic and advised a traveler not to wear one."

Yet, in spite of that and subsequent comments like this from Dr. Fauci, mask mandates spread as fast as the virus. As does the pushback against them.

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In the past, federal and medical facilities required mandates, while some county and state governments in Arizona fought against them.

Mandates in Some Eastern States

Some states are already beginning to return to mask mandates, especially in healthcare facilities. Hospitals in New York and New Jersey are already beginning to require masks.

How Bad is the New Variant?

According to the CDC,  the new variant is referred to as Pirola. Pirola has more than 30 mutations in its spike protein, which is the part of the virus that attaches to and infects human cells. The CDC estimates this may make the variant more contagious.

This variant is beginning to make its way into Arizona. Many people are reporting this variant has symptoms similar to allergies or a bad cold or flu. Hospitalizations for people with compromised immune systems and other factors are beginning to spike.

Will Arizona Require Mask Mandates?

There's no way to know at this time if Arizona will require mask mandates, social distancing, or the other measures required at the height of the pandemic. For now, anyone with symptoms or exposure to COVID should get tested and isolate until it passes.

What do you think? Are you willing to wear a mask again? Social distance? Work or school from home? Let us know.