As a resident of Salt Lake County, I strongly support the retention of the public health order requiring masks that has just been issued by Salt Lake County.
The omicron variant is highly contagious, and our hospitals are nearing the breaking point. Although this variant appears to be less dangerous in general, its ability to spread easily means that far more people are contracting it. It follows that a larger number of people getting sick — even those who are already trying to do everything they can to mitigate spread — will result in a larger number of people requiring hospitalization and a larger number dying or having long-term negative outcomes.
Wearing masks is a simple solution that benefits everyone. There are no negative impacts on wearers, save the minor inconvenience.
While some people loudly argue that being forced to wear masks imposes on their freedom, I ask you to consider the freedom of our more vulnerable citizens to continue to conduct their daily activities without fear of an infection that is more likely to result in a serious illness or death. Activities like going to school, the grocery store, work or church.
By not requiring masks for everyone, we are limiting the freedoms of our most vulnerable population to participate in important activities. It infringes on their rights to receive a free, high quality education in the least restrictive environment possible (online school is a totally inadequate substitute for most children and their families), to move about the country freely, attend public gatherings, worship with their communities at a church, temple, mosque or synagogue, work in a safe environment and to visit relatives in long-term care facilities.
Why would we prioritize the mere convenience, comfort and political sensibilities of a few (very loud) people over the rights of our most vulnerable community members? Why should we sacrifice the public health to accommodate people who spout bizarre conspiracy theories that contradict all the available evidence and facts? Why do those who are most at risk and who have done all they can to mitigate spread need to be the ones who adjust their activities instead of those who see no reason to take precautions?
For example, why are at-risk children expected to go to school online instead of the children whose families refuse to allow their children to wear masks? Children who are at-risk of medical complications are already at a disadvantage in school. Now they are doubly disadvantaged because they must attend online school.
All of this does not even touch upon the sacrifices made and moral injury suffered by our health care workers over the past two years. We have heard repeatedly that this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That is, people being hospitalized and dying are overwhelmingly those who have chosen to refuse a vaccination. This choice has resulted in what feels like an endless series of punches in the gut to exhausted hospital staff, as they try to treat and save the lives of desperately sick people whose illness, by and large, could have been prevented.
Requiring people to wear a piece of cloth or paper over their nose and mouth indoors in public during a major public health crisis is a minor inconvenience that infringes on no one’s fundamental freedoms (speech, religion, voting, etc.).
This temporary public health order should remain in place until the omicron surge burns itself out. As we have seen elsewhere around the world, it will die down. The primary question is whether we will protect our most vulnerable from unnecessary exposure while also protecting their civil rights.
Sydney Cheek-O’Donnell, Ph.D., is chair of the Department of Theatre and associate dean for research, College of Fine Arts, University of Utah.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/3HZ2UP2
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