The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
On March 25, Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order putting an end to mask mandates and constraints on businesses regarding social distancing.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero released a statement that was highly critical of Duceyβs order, accusing him of ignoring science and being politically influenced.
Pima County announced that it intends to keep its mask mandate in place. The Pima County Attorneyβs Office claims that the governor cannot override county actions that fall within the category of public health guidelines.
I think the mayor and the county are overreacting. After all, canceling mask mandates is not the same as canceling mask wearing. Even Ducey still encourages mask-wearing where appropriate.
I myself am a bit of a skeptic, but a skeptic is not the same as an anti-masker. Early on, when it looked like hospital facilities would be overwhelmed, I went along with the mask-wearing and social-distancing because I believe in playing it safe.
I wasnβt weird about it. I didnβt sit around the house with a mask on, or wear it when driving alone in the car; but wearing it made others feel more comfortable, and it may have had an effect, so I complied.
I used to dine out with a friend on Tuesdays. We went to the same restaurant where the staff was all masked and the tables spread out. We both wore our masks.
I began to feel ill the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day. On Monday I knew I had come down with something. In the afternoon, I received a text telling me that my friend was in the ER with COVID. His hospital stay lasted for weeks, and he still goes around with an oxygen bottle.
My wife began feeling ill on the day before Thanksgiving. She works at a hospital, and gets tested for COVID regularly. On Thanksgiving Day she got a call from work saying that she tested positive.
After a week or two, my wife and I got better. Our friend is getting better, but it is a long haul for him.
I went shopping the day after Ducey issued his executive order ending the mandates. I was surprised to see so many shops and supermarkets with the mask signs still on the doors, but hey, itβs their businesses and, with very few exceptions, they get to make the rules.
I have no problem complying. If I donβt like it, I can shop elsewhere.
I stopped by one shop that I have visited weekly for many years. Itβs a nice, friendly, family-owned business. Of course, the owners and staff always complied with the mask mandate.
As soon as the mandate was lifted however, the masks came off.
I walked in the door on that shopping day and nobody behind the counter was wearing a mask. My friend Chuck saw me and said, βHey Jonathan, good to see you!β
We both laughed out loud because it was, in fact, almost a year since we saw each other. It was the first time in a year that I saw someone smiling there β not because they did not actually smile, I just never saw it.
That experience reminded me of the importance of in-person human contact, of how much is communicated with human facial expression. Eye contact is nice, but itβs not the same. Zoom calls are nice, but they are not the same. There is no substitute.
Iβm glad the mandate is gone. If my shopping day was any indication, not much will change for now. The future will be guided by free people who take responsibility for their choices, care for each other, and come back together as a community.
