Here’s Where Mask Mandates Have Returned – So Far

Earlier this week, we reported that the major Hollywood studio Lionsgate had announced that it is bringing mask mandates back to its office. Now, various other places across the country are starting to follow suit.

Morris Brown College which started classes last week will be reinstating a mask mandate for everyone on campus. pic.twitter.com/S2gtTNQMn7

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) August 22, 2023

Mask Mandates Return

In Santa Rosa, California, the health care giant Kaiser Permanente announced this week that mask mandates would be put back in place for staffers, patients, and visitors.

“To ensure that we are helping protect the health and safety of our patients, our workforce and our community, we have reintroduced a mask mandate for physicians, staff, patients, members, and visitors in the hospital and medical offices in the Santa Rosa Service Area,” the company said in a statement obtained by The Press Democrat.

The statement went on to encourage “individuals to get the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available in the fall so we can protect against severe illness.”

Meanwhile, in Syracuse, New York, Upstate Medical’s two hospitals, University and Community General, reimposed mask mandates as of last Thursday morning.

“Effective immediately, mandatory masking is required by all staff, visitors, and patients in clinical areas of Upstate University Hospital, Upstate Community Hospital, and ambulatory clinical spaces,” Upstate Medical said in a memo, according to Syracuse Local. “Clinical areas are defined as any location patients gather, wait, transport through, or receive care. Masking is strongly recommended in all non-clinical areas.”

Find out more about this in the video below.

Related: Hollywood Studio Lionsgate Announces Mask Mandates Will Be Put Back In Place

Colleges Bring Bask Mask Mandates

The Hill reported that colleges like Rutgers University in New Jersey and Morris Brown College in Georgia have followed suit in imposing mask mandates once again.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) fired back on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Americans have had enough COVID hysteria,” she wrote. “WE WILL NOT COMPLY!”

Americans have had enough COVID hysteria. WE WILL NOT COMPLY! https://t.co/2lgmJQJthC

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 22, 2023

Related: Universities Reinstate Mask Mandates Around The Country

This came after the major Hollywood studio Lionsgate reinstated mask mandates at its Santa Barbara offices.

“Employees must wear a medical grade face covering (surgical mask, KN95 or N95) when indoors except when alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking at their desk or workstation, or if they are the only individual present in a large open workspace,” Sommer McElroy, response manager for Lionsgate/Starz, said in a memo obtained by Deadline.

🚨MASK UP🚨

‼️Hollywood studio Lionsgate has brought back mask mandates to nearly half its employees, according to memo obtained by Deadline

@insiderpaper pic.twitter.com/O49N2d7zIN

— {Matt} $XRPatriot (@matttttt187) August 22, 2023

Expert Warns Against Mask Mandates

Some experts have warned against reinstating mask mandates, however. Dr. Nicole Saphier explained to Fox News that “the reason you have an uptick in cases right now is not because you did something wrong, it’s because for the last several years, we’ve seen an uptick in cases in the winter, and we also see one in the end of summer. This is just a normal cycle of this respiratory virus.”

Dr. Saphier vehemently disagrees with reimposing mask mandates.

“Anyone who is immunocompromised, or if you work with people who are immunocompromised, those are the people in appropriate settings [that] should consider wearing a high quality mask, like an N-95, not a single layer of cloth or surgical mask,” she continued. “Those don’t actually work as we’ve seen by many, many studies. But to actually say, you know, to wear masks again in the house and just being in public spaces, we have to move on.”

Find out more about this in the video below.

What are your thoughts on mask mandates? Let us know in the comments section.