Printed in the Herald-Times, August 5, 2021

To the Editor:

I am disappointed that county government has re-implemented the mask mandate, even for vaccinated people. The odds of a vaccinated person getting COVID-19 are very small, and the odds of a vaccinated person spreading the disease to another vaccinated person are even smaller. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

Why are we treating the vaccinated the same as the unvaccinated? If government wants to discourage vaccinations, this is how you do it. Now, I am forced to back to wearing a mask that was made unnecessary when I got my shots in March and April. The vaccines are available to anyone who wants them and they are free.

The point of pandemic mitigation policy is to prevent deaths and stop the hospitals form being overwhelmed. According to the state COVID-19 dashboard, neither is a problem in Monroe County. The death rate has cratered thanks to the vaccine.

A better solution is for people to present a record of immunization in order to be exempt from the mask mandate. The state legislature banned this, and should immediately repeal this law. Allow private businesses to protect their employees and customers, and allow local government to take precautions necessary for their area.