No End in Sight: Blue States Usher in Mask Mandates Nearly 2 Years After Pandemic’s Start

Blue states, such as New York and California, are ushering mask mandates back in as the United States approaches the two-year mark of the start of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, New York began its latest mask requirement, which Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced on Friday, forcing businesses to choose between checking the vaccination status of customers or mandating masks for all. The requirement is not slated to end until January 15, 2022, but the state will still “re-evaluate based on current conditions,” meaning the rule could extend even further.

“I want to thank the more than 80 percent of New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated,” the governor said in a statement, mildly scolding unvaccinated Americans and essentially blaming them for the additional mitigation measures — much like President Biden did mere months ago.