From Jan. 12 through Feb. 22, Brunswick residents and businesses endured a controversial mask mandate, prompted by the Town Council’s pursuit of a phantom emergency and guided by illogical thinking.
A sign describing Brunswick’s indoor mask mandate is posted outside Joshua’s Restaurant and Tavern. The owner of a local coffee shop told The Times Record that his business dropped 20 percent when the mandate was in effect, from Jan. 12 through Feb. 22. C. Thacher Carter/The Times Record, File
By Jan. 6, 84 percent of Brunswick residents were vaccinated. Most hospitalizations were among the unvaccinated. Omicron (aka omicold) produces mild symptoms in the vaccinated and may promote protection from previous and future variants in those who have been vaccinated and infected. There was no emergency.
The mandate allowed for cloth masks even though their ineffectiveness had already been established. Anyone concerned about COVID-19 is responsible enough to be vaccinated and wear an N95 mask. A resentful citizen who grudgingly slaps on a useless piece of cloth just to comply is offering no additional protection for the N95 user. “Any mask is better than no mask” is a fallacy, and the mandate was devoid of logic.
At the Feb. 22 meeting, the council repealed the mandate. However, members touted its success without citing any data directly linking the mandate to a decrease in transmission. Phrases from the councilors’ statements like “I think (the improvement is) partly due to …” and “may have prevented …” are not data. Furthermore, members suggested that the mandate may be reinstated. The council has not learned its lesson.
One local coffee shop experienced a 20 percent drop in business during the mandate. Patrons obviously protested the absurd mandate by doing business elsewhere. Brunswick residents aren’t stupid. They can and will make another mask mandate counterproductive.
Mask mandates are not about controlling COVID-19. They are about controlling people.
Nancy Chesley
Brunswick
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