Ari Fleischer on California's universal indoor mask mandate: Vaccines are the 'solution'
The Fox News contributor joined 'America Reports' to discuss how several Democrat-led states have reimplemented mask mandates regardless of vaccination status.
Two western, Democrat-run states are taking exact opposite approaches to the new Covid-19 variants. In California, a new statewide mask mandate takes effect tomorrow. In Colorado, the Governor announced this week that the Covid emergency is over.
Which decision is correct?
DR. NICOLE SAPHIER: HOW IS COVID GOING TO END?
Los Angeles, CA - November 10:Gov. Gavin Newsom takes questions during a press conference on COVID-19 vaccination and housing for homeless veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
California’s mandate comes not come from Governor Gavin Newsom. It comes from Dr. Tomás Aragón, the Director of the California Department of Public Health. This is an unelected position given power to issue such edicts due to the state of emergency declared by the governor almost two years ago. California has been in an ongoing state of emergency since, despite vaccines available to all and dramatic drops in infection rates.
Before becoming director earlier this year, Dr. Aragon was the health officer for the City and County of San Francisco. Before that he was in charge of public health at University of California, Berkeley, where he is still an adjunct professor. He has degrees from Berkeley and Harvard.
FILE - In this May 14, 2021, file photo, signs instruct visitors on the proper way to wear masks at the Universal City Walk in Universal City, Calif. California is keeping its rules for wearing facemasks in place until the state more broadly lifts its pandemic restrictions on June 15. State officials said Monday, May 17 that the delay will give people time to prepare, and for the state to make sure that virus cases stay low. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) ( (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File))
According to his biography, he became the state director earlier this year with a mission of "striving to embody and promote the universal values of dignity, equity, compassion and humility, he works through collaborative partnerships to mobilize communities and institutions to transform policies and systems towards a culture of equity, antiracism, healing and health for all people and our planet." Yes, he worked "equity" twice into the same sentence.
The new edict begins by noting that the "vaccines remain effective in preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death from the SARS-CoV-2 virus." Nonetheless, it goes on to state the Department "is requiring masks to be worn in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021, through January 15, 2022)."
Los Angeles, CA - November 10:Gov. Gavin Newsom takes questions during a press conference on COVID-19 vaccination and housing for homeless veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) ( (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images))
The Order states the mandate is necessary because, "Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 47 percent and hospitalizations have increased by 14 percent." But it ignores the fact that mask mandates have already long been in place in many counties in the State. The Order expands the rule to all counties.
Yet, it provides zero analysis of the spread of Covid in counties with the mandate versus those without it! Should this not be the most basic due diligence to conduct before issuing an order infringing on individual liberty, and which overrides decisions of local governments and impacts people from Bakersfield to Barstow and Modesto to Tahoe?
Ina Coolbrith Park, San Francisco, California, USA. (iStock)
Compare this to Colorado -- same virus, same human species -- where Governor Jared Polis just announced: "The emergency is over… Frankly, people who want to be protected [have gotten vaccinated]. Those who get sick, it's almost entirely their own darn fault."
No new mask mandate in response to another new variant. Rather, Polis said, "Our top goal is always to follow the science, and there was a time when there was no vaccine, and masks were all we had, and we needed to wear them. The truth is we now have highly effective vaccines that work far better than masks… You don’t tell people to wear a jacket when they go out in winter and force them to [wear it]. If they get frostbite, it’s their own darn fault."
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a news conference about Colorado offering coronavirus vaccinations to children, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Denver. Infection rates have soared in Colorado over the past month, and Polis signed an executive order on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, to expand the use of booster shots to quell the recent surge in COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Wow! Finally, a Democrat leader applying common sense and personal responsibility. He could not be more correct.
Americans should be free to take whatever measure they wish to stay healthy. Control their immunity through nutrition, exercise, and taking vitamins -- or not. Go out to restaurants or eat at home. Go to the movies or watch Netflix.
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Wear a mask, or two masks, or not. Get vaccinated or not. Get boosted or not.
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In Colorado, thanks to the governor, Americans now are free to decide for themselves. While in California, Americans remain subject to the arbitrary edicts of a woke Berkeley professor.