Missouri suppressed a study showing mask mandates worked

The state of Missouri commissioned a study to see if mask mandates worked. When the results came in, showing they saved lives, the state blocked publication in order to maintain its attempt to force cities like St. Louis to end their mask mandates: https://t.co/nGon9yi7nC
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) December 2, 2021

BREAKING: Missouri Health Dept withheld report showing mask mandates work from public, unearthed emails show. https://t.co/qypwlL0RRD pic.twitter.com/veYOrryWc1
— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) December 2, 2021

Data supporting the effectiveness of mask mandates in Missouri was kept private for a month until state public health officials released it this week in response to a public records request. https://t.co/ZOQtJzGDeO
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 2, 2021

Missouri governor lashes out after @MO_Independent news report reveals his office buried a study showing mask mandates work https://t.co/MIO31CqlMw by @michelemunz pic.twitter.com/eYXNUp3Wim
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) December 3, 2021

More on terrible Republican anti-mask policies

Just today (!), Ducey in AZ/DeSantis in FL, Abbott in TX have all escalated their attacks on blue city mask or vaccine mandates. Latest: "TX AG Paxton asked the TX Supreme Court Tuesday to overrule a Travis County judge who allowed mask mandates to proceed in any school district" https://t.co/cdj6eQkNY7
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 17, 2021

Unreal. Florida is now threatening penalties against school districts over mask mandates, per DeSantis' threats.https://t.co/9zd3NNPUCv

It's time Biden and national Dems speak/act more directly on behalf of these folks. They can't be abandoned to face this derangement alone. https://t.co/AML5LB7LYF
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 18, 2021

Mayor Romero calls Gov. Ducey's move to give $163M grant to schools without mask mandates 'absolutely evil and grotesque' https://t.co/8Ev0pDdlYb
— KVOA News 4 Tucson (@KVOA) August 17, 2021

In Opinion

“There is good reason to believe that wearing a mask at school could actually improve certain social and cognitive skills,” writes Judith Danovitch, a psychologist who studies child development, in a guest essay.https://t.co/rJYEaHeo0f
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 18, 2021

BREAKING: A Texas school board has found a loophole in Greg Abbott's ban on school mask mandates by instead adding masks to the district's dress code.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 18, 2021

Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey said the state would use federal Covid-19 relief money to increase the funding available to public school districts only if they're open for in-person learning and don't require children to wear masks https://t.co/dyuoRHf4rR
— CNN (@CNN) August 18, 2021

Florida's State Board of Education voted unanimously at an emergency meeting to recommend investigations into two school districts whose mask mandates defy Gov. Ron DeSantis. https://t.co/nCAh8X4im8
— CNN (@CNN) August 18, 2021

This is authoritarian. FL St Board of Ed “Emerg Meeting’ tonight to discipline Alachua Schools for requiring masks. Desantis attack dog Tom Grady grousing about how much national press this has gotten and saying to Alachua witness, “I wonder’s who’s paying for all that?” Audio pic.twitter.com/9MQtBomJjx
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 17, 2021

TN Gov Bill Lee joins Ron Desantis and Greg Abbott by signing an Executive Order yesterday prohibiting schools from requiring masks. pic.twitter.com/oJgfIad9Ox
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 17, 2021

Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee signed an executive order on Tuesday allowing parents to opt their children out of mask mandates at school. The state is one of several where a Republican governor opposes mask mandates that are supported by school officials. https://t.co/v6P14iiAr9
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 16, 2021

A dad at Sutter Creek Elementary School in Amador, CA, irate over mask mandates, beat up a teacher and sent him to the hospital on the first day of school this week. pic.twitter.com/QSYIrcbSrX
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 15, 2021

An entirely Republican, deeply ideological TX Supreme Court waits at the finish line of these legal confrontations. Its ultimate decision will measure how committed the state GOP is to shred school mask mandates when the Dallas area, for instance, has no pediatric ICU beds left https://t.co/kU5cOoc9f7
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 14, 2021

“There’s a couple hundred people every night outside of my house screaming curse words at my children.”

— Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins on reaction to his emergency order requiring masks in all public schools, after securing restraining order against Gov. Abbott’s (R-TX) ban. pic.twitter.com/SHA2Dar5Q4
— The Recount (@therecount) August 13, 2021

Stunning: While @GregAbbott_TX is in court trying to block school mask mandates, Dallas-area "hospitals are reporting fewer and fewer empty beds — including no available ICU beds for children in the region." https://t.co/zz8KwL9XSk
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 13, 2021

Schools are open. Masks are off. GA vax rates are low. @GaDPH is absent. @GovKemp is politicking. https://t.co/HY3JPGhgFE
— Melanie Thompson (@drmt) August 12, 2021

Biden today warning of possible legal action from Ed Department against red state governors blocking mask mandates marks a significant adjustment of his position, if administration follows through. https://t.co/rJpmCSfMV7
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 18, 2021

And now Hillsborough County (Tampa) also votes to impose a 30-day mask mandate in schools-in direct defiance of DeSantis. More evidence school masks have truly become the "breaking point" in endemic blue city/red state conflict. https://t.co/oCnxj91adZ https://t.co/Y1JJhVDlC7
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 18, 2021

Republican anti-mask policies are resulting in school Covid outbreaks

More than 28,000 students and school staff in Florida into quarantine and isolation. And that is only with 6 out of 67 districts reporting.
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) August 24, 2021

More than 20,000 students in Mississippi are in quarantine from Covid-19 exposure, according to state data. https://t.co/wJFHUCU9Ga
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 18, 2021

Mississippi has already quarantined over 6% of all K-12 public school students either for COVID-19 exposures or positive tests.

That's despite the fact that not all schools have opened or begun reported numbers to MSDH yet.https://t.co/4IwJS5tYL7
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) August 18, 2021

Just a week into the school year, over 8,000 students in Florida school district isolated or quarantined a week into school year. https://t.co/nI90QrnWkp
— ABC News (@ABC) August 18, 2021

More than 5,500 students at a school district in Central Florida are being forced to quarantine due to an outbreak of COVID, prompting the school board to announce that it's holding an emergency meeting to discuss "mandatory face coverings." https://t.co/WefQQ0KCOT
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 17, 2021

COVID outbreaks in three rural Texas communities force school districts to close their doors https://t.co/6961m7Lu1i
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) August 17, 2021

Five days into the school year, and in my kids' school district, there are 176 student Covid cases and 121 staff cases. On Friday, there were 51 student and 74 staff cases. It started at zero on Aug. 10.
(It is self-reported so the real numbers are probably much higher.)
— Mónica Rhor 🇪🇨 (@monicarhor) August 17, 2021

Mississippi has five children dead from Covid-19. The governor couldn’t recall the exact number at a press conference where he announced that there would be no mask mandate for the state’s schools: https://t.co/INfr4GNCMJ pic.twitter.com/4qbmTK5Ajr
— Amrita Khalid (@askhalid) August 15, 2021

BREAKING: An 8th grade Mississippi girl died this morning hours after testing positive for COVID-19. She attended classes throughout the week at a school that began with no mask mandate.

Yesterday, Gov. Tate Reeves downplayed the danger to schoolchildren. https://t.co/Hd3o0U6Di0
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) August 15, 2021

BREAKING: After one week, Pearl River Central High School has quarantined 40% of its entire student body.

When classes began, the school board made masks optional for a more "normal" school year.

Now, the entire school district is going virtual.https://t.co/zoVDEWxfNw
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) August 12, 2021

This fall is going to go great: “Classes began at the Carriere, Miss., school on Aug. 5 with no mask mandates. Since then, the high school has quarantined 394 members of its roughly 1,000-member student body.” https://t.co/fgD9aQe63P
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) August 13, 2021

Frustrated Palm Beach, FL Superintendent of Schools Michael Burke said today that Ron Desantis “has to take responsibility” for the 51 covid cases after just 2 days of school. 34 students and 14 staff tested positive, 440 are home on quarantine. pic.twitter.com/4dRBt7QKpf
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 12, 2021

#BREAKING…. THREE Broward County teachers and ONE assistant have died in a 24 period this week due to coronavirus. Just days before the new school year is set to begin. @wsvn
— Joe Roetz (@JoeRoetz) August 12, 2021

I’m extremely pissed at @GovRonDeSantis. At at 8:42pm tonight my 6 year olds principal called me and told me my child had been exposed to COVID-19. I immediately took her temperature, it was 100.8. I rush and got a test. It came back positive. My baby has COVID 19.
— Mike Harvey (@electMikeHarvey) August 20, 2021

BREAKING: For the 2nd straight day, Tennessee sets a stunning new daily record for #COVID19 cases among school-age children (ages 5-18).
1,850 in today's report, up from 1,495 the day before.
Previous high of 1,478 was on Dec. 15th.
It has NEVER been this bad. 1/ pic.twitter.com/A5mHfKAntK
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) August 19, 2021

More than 28,000 students and school staff in Florida into quarantine and isolation. And that is only with 6 out of 67 districts reporting.
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) August 24, 2021

Arizona – Ducey’s bad actions against mask mandates

Like DeSantis & Abbott, Ducey is escalating his offensive against blue jurisdictions requiring masks or vaccines. The dominant GOP impulse remains to defend the unvaccinated-even as evidence grows that the vaccinated, across party lines, are ready for tougher steps against them. https://t.co/wjKw5rTMl0
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 17, 2021

This is the most absurdly dangerous and anti-science step @dougducey has taken (and that’s saying a lot, 2020).

Until kids under 12 have access to the vaccine, what are parents supposed to do? Just hope their kids don’t get sick and end up in the ICU? https://t.co/8f6IOqtwHX
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) August 17, 2021

Gov. Ducey is now going to incentivize #AZ schools to ignore public health guidance and put our children’s health at risk. https://t.co/fo43Qy8u8v
— Kelli Butler (@KelliButlerAZ) August 17, 2021

Watching DeSantis, Abbott, & Ducey choose death over life; & centralized power over community decision making is painful & resulting in unnecessary, premature deaths.

It is one thing to NOT have a mask mandate. Wholly another to block municipalities from letting science lead. https://t.co/DSQmJ7hYoi
— (((Howard Forman))) (@thehowie) August 17, 2021

It’s like these governors are competing to see who can be more reckless and irresponsible.https://t.co/KCrDQMxoHL
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) August 14, 2021

Mask mandates are popular – you would never know it from social media or watching TV

The media just focuses on what looks dramatic on TV. Normal people behaving responsibly is boring. Republican governors like Ducey, Abbott and DeSantis are just trying to score points with the Trump cult.

AP poll: Majorities of Americans support requiring people to be fully vaccinated in order to attend crowded events like concerts/sports, go to bars and restaurants, and travel on a plane.https://t.co/oVh4UFi9Ld pic.twitter.com/X0EP6TjIcy
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 20, 2021

Slightly more than half of US workers favor Covid-19 vaccine mandates in their workplaces, new polling finds, although far fewer have seen such requirements implemented by their employers.https://t.co/yy8x3RGBpt
— Ariel Edwards-Levy (@aedwardslevy) August 18, 2021

Yes, TV networks focus on what looks dramatic on TV. I didn’t see any coverage of the increase in food stamps which will affect a lot more Americans than the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) August 17, 2021

Really striking new polling data:

* 66% of Americans oppose state laws blocking local mask mandates

* 77% oppose nixing school funding to retaliate against them

Dems should speak more directly to this neglected silent majority of Americans.

My latest:https://t.co/UFP2tOy1jT
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 17, 2021

From the new Fox poll: 54% of people say schools should be able to require masking or vax proof, while the percentage saying full in-person schooling "as usual" should return has tumbled from 51% to 36%. https://t.co/ugX7MTAzOD pic.twitter.com/hq48qsHIZq
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 12, 2021

Morning Consult: Over 60% of voters back mask mandates in restaurants, offices and gyms

Kaiser: 63% of parents back school mask mandates for unvaxxed kids

The idea that masks "divide" us is a distortion created by concentrated GOP anti-mask derangement:https://t.co/5MiexqE3WI
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 12, 2021

Do you support or oppose instituting or reinstituting facemask and social distancing guidelines in your state at the current time?

DEM
Support 85%
Oppose 14%

REP
Support 24%
Oppose 73%

(Monmouth U. Poll, 7/21-26/21)
— PollingReport.com (@pollreport) August 3, 2021

To this point, new @Ipsos TX polling shows ~3/5 of college+ whites there support mask mandates for schools, workplaces, restaurants & sports arenas. Surprisingly, non-college whites not far behind. Black/Hispanic support for masks above 4/5, incl ~85% in schools. https://t.co/QOqML4DNmy
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 17, 2021

Support for an indoor mask mandate is strong, per a WGN/Emerson college poll conducted earlier his month. 70.3% of Chicagoans say they back a potential return to the mandate, while 20.5% oppose it. https://t.co/uuyKJdAyBO
— A.D. Quig (@ad_quig) August 17, 2021

Polls show support for mask mandates

There is public support for mask mandates for some or all people. All you see on TV are people who are violently opposed to them.

Two new polls find very broad support for various mask mandates, including among GOP-leaning demographics. This suggests that if GOP officials hadn't adopted Trump's project of stoking Covid conflict wherever possible, things might be very different today:https://t.co/5MiexqE3WI
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 11, 2021

Joe Biden won the election with 51.3% of the popular vote. 69% of the US population wants at least an indoor mask mandate in public places. Sounds like a no-brainer even for a politician. https://t.co/ABCl9fA9TF
— Dana Ludwig (@danaludwig) August 8, 2021

Completely agree. This is just like CNN always interviewing Trump cult/QAnon supporters but never interviewing Biden supporters. Biden supporters are boring because we believe in facts and don't spread outrageous conspiracy theories.
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) August 11, 2021

A poll released Wednesday found that 62 percent of Florida voters support a mask mandate for schools. At first blush, you might think that might cause DeSantis to rethink his position. pic.twitter.com/JktRu6A36P
— Jack Mobley (@Greenerpalmbea) August 9, 2021

"DeSantis’s position is horrible policy and rotten politics. A recent St. Pete poll finds that 62 percent of Floridians want a mask mandate in schools…" https://t.co/SF6us0sedY
— BrownEyedGirl (@Wandrwoman) August 5, 2021

This is what the media covers:

The parking lot after a school board meeting last night in Franklin, the wealthiest place in Tennessee. Parents harassed medical professionals who had spoken in favor of masks in schools. “We know who you are. You can leave freely, but we will find you.” pic.twitter.com/SzR0uvMeE7
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) August 11, 2021

In June Americans opposed mask mandates 60%-40%. Now they favor them 55%-45% — a big, sudden U-turn that reflects growing fears about Delta. The problem? Almost none of this extra caution is coming from unvaccinated people. The new @YahooNew @YouGov poll: https://t.co/7sAUvgsRpS
— Andrew Romano (@AndrewRomano) August 4, 2021

Keep wearing a mask after you are vaccinated

COVID-19 vaccines may reduce transmission, experts say, but vaccinated Americans still need to wear masks in public. Here’s why. (yahoo.com)

One reason I still wear a mask even though I am fully vaccinated is to encourage others to wear one. When I walk outside, strangers who see me don’t know that I have received the vaccine. If I don’t wear a mask, it may reinforce the thinking of others who don’t wear one.