In mid-October, 2020, when the
coronavirus was again peaking in E.U. states such as France and Germany and
U.S. states such as Wisconsin and New Mexico, public health experts were
worried about how the upcoming flu season would interact with the new virus,
especially as people gather more indoors when outside temperatures turn colder.
On October 15, 2020, for instance, seven U.S. states saw record numbers of
hospitalizations, according to the Covid Tracking Project, and fourteen states
set records for their seven-day averages of new daily cases, according to Johns
Hopkins University.[1] France
and Germany had already instituted nightly curfews. On October 16, Tier 2
Restrictions went into effect in London, which include urging people to avoid public
transportation. Because physical distancing is not always possible on buses,
subways, and light rail, universal mask wearing was crucial. According to IHME
projections at the time, universal mask wearing in general “could save the
lives of more than 70,000 Americans in the next three and a half months.”[2]
With New Mexico’s chief executive referring to the coronavirus situation as
“the most serious emergency that New Mexico has ever faced” on October 14, it
was very troubling that Arizona, which borders New Mexico, had failed to
enforce laws requiring masks on public transportation. This failure is
extraordinary because of the mentality behind it.
The full essay is at "Dysfunctional Culture during a Pandemic."
1. Christina Maxouris and Jason Hanna, “The US Has Reached 8 Million Covid-19 Cases, and the Pace of New Infections Signals a Tough Winter,” CNN.com, October 16, 2020.
2. Ibid.
