Wearing of Masks in Wisconsin - Essay Sample

Wearing face masks is one of the World Health Organization’s interventions to control the spread of Covid-19. Despite having face masks, other health measures are still relevant to practice. Wearing face masks is practiced alongside keeping a safe distance. However, some conflicting ideas have arisen on the safety of the use of facemasks. In particular, the State of Wisconsin has had a concern from the section of its population on the safety of the facemasks' application. The Wisconsin Governor, Tony Evers, gave an executive order compelling everyone to adhere to the mask-wearing rules.

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According to the governor, the safety and health security of the public is of critical priority. He entrusts the scientists and public health experts in giving information and guidelines in managing the spread of the pandemic. "While I know emotions are high when it comes to wearing face coverings in public." Adherence and compliance to face masking in Wisconsin have been controversial between the residents, the health officials, and the legislators. The underlying truth behind wearing masks is that it largely contributes to control of the pandemic spread (Dave & Dhaval, 2020). It was uneasy for the opponents to undo such a pronouncement. It is argued that wearing the facemasks outside of the homes is critical too. It is vital in containing the prevalence.

The proponents of the orders had feared the fast spreading trend of the disease and wanted any possible means of reducing it. The Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared the Covid-19 pandemic as a crisis and urged an all-out intervention towards the disease. "My job as governor is to put people first and to do what is best for the people of our state, so that is what I am going to do." The executive order also required the children over five to have face masks while inside the buildings or outside in public (Dave & Dhaval, 2020). The executive order exempted personal residence with one occupant when drinking, during communication, when alone in the room when the federal law prohibits the wearing of face mask, people with special medical conditions, mental health compromises, and people with breathing difficulties, and when engaging in tasks that do not allow the wearing of face masks. The local and state officials are tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the order. The executive order mainly referred to indoor public places like pubs, hotels, taxis, and restaurants.

In the view of the opponents to the government directives, they were worried on the wrong use and negative impacts of the facemasks. In other words, the unhealthy accumulation of sweats on prolonged use of the face masks could be harmful to human life. In their arguments, the wetting of the masks from the inside makes breathing uneasily besides harboring bacteria and pathogenic bacteria that would be harmful to human life. They predominantly propose the practice of observing the safe distance. The order was challenged in court, citing its strict application and failure to consider further health implications associated with it. The fear of a legislative suit working against the decree was inevitable. However, the employees and the public were advised to continue applying for the orders until the court gives clear directives. The public complained of the hefty penalty attached to the violation of the orders. Politicians use the topic of face masks to advance their agenda and remain relevant in the political course. The confusing opinions on the dangers, safety, and importance of wearing masks have led to confusion resulting in low adherence among the public.

Wearing a mask is a formidable intervention towards containing the spread and prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Politicizing the mask-wearing initiative is a setback in the government’s efforts in reducing the prevalence. Since the enforcement of the wearing of masks and compliance by the Wisconsin state, there has been a surging trend in infections. Wisconsin enacted an order requiring the citizens to be masked while indoors. The declaration by the governor was an intention of containing the spread of the disease.

Work Cited

Dave, Dhaval M., et al. Did the Wisconsin Supreme Court Restart a COVID-19 Epidemic? Evidence from a Natural Experiment. No. w27322. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020.