With COVID cases rising due to Halloween, the election and Thanksgiving, there’s no better time to start discussing why there shouldn’t be a fine for people who aren’t wearing a mask.
Governor Gavin Newsom has heavily been trying to keep people safe by setting curfews, banning gatherings, closing outdoor dining and decreasing capacities for non-essential businesses.
Even after Newsom’s extensive tries to get people to stay home, large groups of people in Orange County continue to protest it.
Such as having a protest against curfew at 10 p.m., the day the curfew was implemented.
There is still a good majority who don’t believe this virus is as severe as the news, doctors or politicians make it out to be.
Because of this belief, a majority don’t feel the need to wear a mask or don’t believe that it does anything to protect them.
Being able to fine people for not wearing a mask would be ideal, but not completely possible.
It is not possible because there is such a large majority that don’t wear masks and having security or officers fine each person without a mask is unnecessary work that can be put to better use.
Then again, police departments would have to consider how to fine people for not wearing a mask.
Will the public get fined for taking off their mask while exiting a retail store and heading back to their car? What’s the limit?
Unless a special task force was made to implement this fine, then that would be ideal, but again, this year has brought about more inconsistencies within police departments that their focus should be amongst their own departments.
If there were to be a fine for not wearing a mask, it could also create more chaos amongst those who already don’t believe in this pandemic and have fought against Newsom’s tactics.
A majority of the public doesn’t want to be told what to do. Even if it’s for their own health and the health of others.
This also brings up the question of whether forcing the public to wear masks is unconstitutional.
It does not make it unconstitutional when state governors are giving these orders with the public’s best interests and safety in mind.
According to the World Health Organization, masks should be worn when the public is not able to stay six feet apart from each other and in indoor settings.
“Masks are a key measure to suppress transmission and save lives. Masks reduce potential exposure risk from an infected person whether they have symptoms or not. People wearing masks are protected from getting infected. Masks also prevent onward transmission when worn by a person who is infected,” according to the World Health Organization website.
Even if masks being mandated were to be considered unconstitutional, it would be worth breaking it for public health.
Whether people believe if this virus is real or not, they should be respectful enough to at least wear a mask when going out in public.