At this rate, We've got over 300,000 dead Americans by Halloween.
And over 4,000,000 dead worldwide.
Mask mandates catch on as states, businesses try to bypass a toxic debate
They have emerged as an unlikely symbol of partisan divide and a source of bottomless derision for President Trump.
But masks on Wednesday moved ever closer to becoming a new national reality in America’s pandemic-scarred life, with businesses, states and health experts preaching their promise as the country’s last line of defense against a fast-growing viral threat.
Even as the White House continued to resist pushing for a national mask mandate, evidence abounded that face coverings were becoming a de facto requirement — and not only in big cities where they have been in widespread use for months.
Alabama’s governor, who leads one of the country’s most conservative states, on Wednesday said people would be obligated to wear masks when leaving the house. The announcement, which came as Alabama recorded a new single-day novel coronavirus death record, means nearly half of all states now have a mandate.
The world’s largest retailer and a staple of rural communities nationwide, Walmart Inc., issued the same requirement for shoppers in its stores. A powerful trade group quickly embraced the choice, raising the prospect that other major chains will soon follow.
“Shopping in a store is a privilege, not a right,” said the National Retail Federation. “If a customer refuses to adhere to store policies, they are putting employees and other customers at undue risk.”
The moves came only hours after Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, declared that coronavirus outbreaks — now raging across much of the country — could be “under control” within one or two months if the public adopts widespread mask use.
At this point, Dr Redfield isn't any more credible than the hardcore Cult45 devotees, and even though he knows (obviously) a helluva lot more than I do, I'll have to look sideways at his claim that we could have this thing under control in a coupla months if we all just wear the masks. It's possible, but it would take a massive reversal on 45*'s part to motivate the rubes, and I think we're all pretty sure that shit ain't gonna happen.
"Trump always makes thing worse for Trump."
-- Bob Cesca
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