I’m starting to think we are getting really fed up with our year of Covid restrictions. Masks. Travel. Even the CDC and Dr. Fauci.
Let’s start with masks. Out and about, people are not wearing them like they were. At the gym, I’m still wearing mine, and I’m feeling in the minority.
Local school districts are feeling it, too. Parents are ready for this to be done. My TV station, Fox 13, is reporting that districts are planning to ease mask restrictions in the next school year.
For some parents, it’s not soon enough. They want the mask mandates removed now, saying it harms their kids.
The messages are mixed. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis lifted all Covid restrictions last week. He left it to private business to decide if they want to continue with masks and social distancing. School districts are still figuring things out.
The FAA isn’t sending out mixed messages on this. Hundreds of complaints from airlines in the past few months. Many over face masks. The FAA isn’t afraid to fine. The biggest so far, $35,000 dollars. Not messing around. At all.
From flying to cruising. The State of Florida will go before a federal judge to get the cruise industry open again. The CDC has had a no sail order in place for more than a year. It’s estimated the state has lost 169,000 jobs and $23 billion dollars. If the judge rules in the state’s favor, the cruise industry could get back to business immediately.
Speaking of the CDC, there is growing frustration of how it is handling these ending days of the pandemic. It all came to a head during a meeting of the Senate Health Committee.
Besides the usual back and forth between Senator Rand Paul and Dr. Fauci, most of the frustration was pointed at the CDC.
From Yahoo News, Republicans lashed out at the CDC for its conflicting and confusing guidance. Senator Susan Collins said it’s gone so far as undermine public confidence. “I used to have the utmost respect for the guidance from the CDC. I always considered the CDC to be the gold standard. I don’t anymore.”
So, that’s where we are. A year in and frustrated. We want normal. Any kind of normal. We’re not there. Not yet.