Massachusetts extends school mask mandate to Jan. 15

Want to wear a mask forever because you're worried about the common cold or influenza? Great! Do it! Should it be an indefinite state mandate, especially in "rules for thee, not for me" style? Nope!

We agreed as a society wholeheartedly (at least in MA) to commit to mask wearing because we were dealing with a disease that had spread virulently and had a high enough incidence rate of severe illness that required hospitalization that it was headed towards creating a complete collapse of our healthcare structure.

That's not the case today - things are much more under control. Should we have kids in shools masked until a critical mass are vaccinated? Sure, because they're a vector for virulent spread until high vaccination is achieved; but there's no compelling case to mandate masks in indoor settings in perpetuity for the entire population.

I can tell because two years ago I never had to wear a mask anywhere and now I have to wear a mask everywhere. That, to me, is a big deal

Among those who make public policy which explains why we will have mask mandates forever.
Despite the facts that:

• They are far from equitable -- people of color are far more likely to work in roles which require mask-wearing in the workplace.
• Mask wearing is problematic for the disabled, particularly those with hearing impairments who rely on lip-reading.
• Mask wearing has a mental health impact on some, whether or not you think "It really isn't a big deal."

It's not even clear that performative mask mandates like the ones imposed on restaurants are even effective. There is little or no incremental benefit from requiring patrons to wear masks for the minute or two of time when they are not seated -- and the literature documenting Covid spread from patrons in restaurants involved diners who were seated and eating.