Over the weekend, CNN medical expert Dr. Leana Wen said that it is time for governments to lift mask mandates in order to “preserve public health authority for when it’s needed again.”
Wen explained that she did not believe that people should stop wearing masks, but that governments needed to allow people to make decisions for themselves. Wen argued that people would be more likely to accept government-imposed restrictions again if they were first given back some of their freedom.
“You say we can start removing at least some coronavirus restrictions,” CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said. “Now, tell us why?”
“Well, I agree with Colorado, with many other local and state’s jurisdictions that are beginning to lift government mandates,” Wen replied. “And I think this is the key: I’m not saying that we should be stopping masking, but rather that this needs to shift from a government requirement to an individual decision.”
“The government can’t keep telling our citizens that this is a five-alarm fire all the time,” she continued, adding, “people are just going to start tuning it out and not pay attention, they’ll be desensitized.”
“And so what needs to happen is we need to end the state of emergency and preserve the ability of public health authorities to reinstitute mandates in the future if we more and more dangerous variants later,” Wen concluded.
In the coming days, we will see many Governors and local leaders lift mask mandates. This is the right step, and marks a needed shift from government-imposed requirement to individual decision. It helps to preserve public health authority for when it’s needed again. @wolfblitzer pic.twitter.com/66zwIw6vgH
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) February 7, 2022
