Gov. Scott faces backlash after saying other states' Covid masking orders 'haven't worked'
Facing pressure to take action on Vermonts coronavirus spread fueled by the contagious Delta variant, Republican Gov. Phil Scott took aim at other states in the country that have responded to mounting caseloads by reinstating indoor mask mandates.
Theres seven states across the country that still have a state of emergency and mask mandate, he said at a news conference Tuesday. Their data doesnt look any different than ours; in fact its worse than ours. So their mitigation measures havent worked.
Scotts statements have drawn backlash from both medical experts and officials from states that have masking orders in place.
The governors remarks were incredibly irresponsible, said Anne Hoen, an associate professor of epidemiology at Dartmouths Geisel School of Medicine. The scientific evidence does indicate that masks work to slow the viruss spread, she said, and mask mandates make more people likely to use facial coverings.
For someone who has promoted his policy as being grounded in science and data, it is so disappointing to hear him make the conclusion that mask mandates are not effective, a statement that has no scientific basis, Hoen wrote in an email to VTDigger.
Read more: https://vtdigger.org/2021/10/06/scott-faces-backlash-after-saying-other-states-covid-masking-orders-havent-worked/