On Wednesday’s CBS Mornings and Thursday’s NBC Today show, hosts fretted over mask mandates being lifted across the country as COVID numbers sharply decline. Jittery anchors feared that the easing of pandemic restrictions “triggers” some people and even suggested they themselves might “wear a mask forever now” in certain settings, like public transportation.
“Should we be dropping the COVID-19-related restrictions, mask mandates, proof of vaccinations, what do you think?” CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson asked Dean of Brown University School of Public Health Dr. Ashish Jha on Wednesday. In response, Dr. Jha advised: “I think mask mandates can definitely get lifted. Vaccine mandates are going to be helpful for the long run....But certainly mask mandates, restrictions on gatherings, I think they can start getting lifted.”
After Burleson noted that “the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and President Biden both say we should not be lifting the mask mandates,” Jha gently pushed back: “So I appreciate what they’re both saying....My take is things are so much better and heading in the right direction that over the next few weeks I think it’s perfectly reasonable to pull those things back.”
Fill-in co-host Michelle Miller countered the frequently-cited medical expert: “But you know, a recent CBS News poll found that most parents believe that kids should be required to wear their masks in school.” Jha reiterated: “It’s lifting of the mandates, meaning if some parents still want to send their kids masked, if kids want to wear a mask, there’s no downside to that. There’s no restriction on that. But I don’t know that we need to be mandating it at this point.”
Still showing discomfort with letting go of mask mandates, co-host Tony Dokoupil warned of a psychological need for facial coverings:
But what’s happening here, Dr. Jha, is a lot of people are still emotionally – they’re fearful, right? They hear about removing these restrictions, and their body says, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, we remember how bad this was.” So what do you say to people who believe in the science, like you, think you’re an authority, but are like, “I’m just uncomfortable, something triggers me”?
Jha attempted to coddle the nervous journalist while still advocating for an end to mandates: “...if you want to continue wearing a mask for a little bit longer, I think that’s completely reasonable to do. The question is what restrictions should the government be putting on people. In that context, I think lifting those restrictions really does make sense.”
On NBC’s Today show Thursday morning, co-host Savannah Guthrie began a similar discussion with Dr. Jha by noting: “So the question is, is it time to take off those masks? With more states letting mandates expire, the rules across the country are, to put it nicely, a confusing patchwork.”
Fellow co-host Hoda Kotb already started imagining mask mandates being reimposed in the near future:
Some people say that once you do away with the mask mandate people are going to just say, “Well, those are gone forever.” And as you report a lot, these things come and go. There could be another surge coming. Do you think it would be tough to say, “Okay, guys, now we’re going back to masks all over again”?
Moments later, Guthrie chimed back in: “There are some places where I think I might wear a mask forever now, such as the subway. I was on a crowded subway the other day and I was happy to have my mask on.”
After endlessly lecturing viewers on the importance of “following the science” throughout the pandemic, the moment one of their trusted medical experts says it’s okay to ease regulations, media figures are still “emotionally” clinging to their masks.
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Here is a transcript of February 16 exchange on CBS Mornings:
8:16 AM ET
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NATE BURLESON: Should we be dropping the COVID-19-related restrictions, mask mandates, proof of vaccinations, what do you think?
DR. ASHISH JHA [DEAN OF BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH]: Yeah, so we’re first of all in a way better place than we were even a month ago.
BURLESON: We are.
JHA: The infections down about 80% across the country, deaths are starting to fall. This is a good time to look at all those restrictions and say, which ones do we really need? I think mask mandates can definitely get lifted. Vaccine mandates are going to be helpful for the long run, just keeping people vaccinated. So I think that’s a good policy to have. But certainly mask mandates, restrictions on gatherings, I think they can start getting lifted.
BURLESON: Both the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and President Biden both say we should not be lifting the mask mandates. Why do you think they are taking that stance?
JHA: Well, I think they are being careful. And look, we always want to be careful in these moments. So I appreciate what they’re both saying. Infections numbers are still high, they’re coming down, but still high. Deaths are still high. So I think what they’re probably reacting to is let’s wait a little but longer. And I think I understand that. My take is things are so much better and heading in the right direction that over the next few weeks I think it’s perfectly reasonable to pull those things back.
BURLESON: That’s good news.
MICHELLE MILLER: Yeah, that is. But you know, a recent CBS News poll found that most parents believe that kids should be required to wear their masks in school. So how should schools be looking at this?
JHA: Yeah. So I’m a parent and I’m – the way I look at it is if you’re in a community with high vaccination rates, infection numbers are getting low, I think it’s very reasonable to lift mask mandates in schools. It’s lifting of the mandates, meaning if some parents still want to send their kids masked, if kids want to wear a mask, there’s no downside to that. There’s no restriction on that. But I don’t know that we need to be mandating it at this point.
TONY DOKOUPIL: Yeah, you know, I was thinking that Sunday, watching the Super Bowl, that we may look back on that Super Bowl, which felt very normal, I didn’t see a lot of masks in the stands, and think that was a milestone in the country’s turn away from the virus. But what’s happening here, Dr. Jha, is a lot of people are still emotionally – they’re fearful, right? They hear about removing these restrictions, and their body says, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, we remember how bad this was.”
JHA: Yeah.
DOKOUPIL: So what do you say to people who believe in the science, like you, think you’re an authority, but are like, “I’m just uncomfortable, something triggers me”?
JHA: Yeah, no, I totally understand that. We’ve had two years of very, very difficult pandemic. That’s why I’ve argued for being thoughtful and slow about this. If people want to take their time – no one’s saying – if you want to continue wearing a mask for a little bit longer, I think that’s completely reasonable to do. The question is what restrictions should the government be putting on people. In that context, I think lifting those restrictions really does make sense.
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Here is a transcript of the February 17 exchange on NBC’s Today show:
7:08 AM ET
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SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: So the question is, is it time to take off those masks? With more states letting mandates expire, the rules across the country are, to put it nicely, a confusing patchwork. And the CDC is promising revised guidance soon.
HODA KOTB: Yeah, with us now to talk about all of it is Dr. Ashish Jha, he’s the dean of Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Jha, good morning, good morning, good to see you.
DR. ASHISH JHA [DEAN OF BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH]: Good morning.
KOTB: So the numbers are down, everyone is sort of cheering, pulling out the pom-poms saying, wow, it looks like it’s time. Do you think it’s time to do away with masks all together?
JHA: Yeah, so I do think that over the next few weeks we’re gonna – I think it’s gonna be reasonable to lift mask mandates. Infections, as you said, are dropping precipitously, hospital capacity has gotten better, deaths are gonna get much better in the next few weeks. So, yeah, I think it’s a pretty reasonable time to pull off the mask mandates.GUTHRIE: What about in schools? Because that’s the one – I mean, even here in New York, they’ve lifted some of the mandates, schools still in effect. And that’s, for a lot of us with little kids, we’re wondering when can they take them off, when is it safe?
JHA: I think it’s pretty reasonable for schools as well. I mean, first of all, all school-age kids can now get vaccinated, so that’s good news. And infections in places like New York are down, what, 90-95% from their peak. So pretty reasonable to do it in schools as well.
KOTB: Some people say that once you do away with the mask mandate people are going to just say, “Well, those are gone forever.” And as you report a lot, these things come and go. There could be another surge coming. Do you think it would be tough to say, “Okay, guys, now we’re going back to masks all over again”?
JHA: No, so I think communication here is key, Hoda. So the – when we lift mask mandates now we should make it clear that if there is another surge, if there’s another variant, we’re gonna ask people to put their masks back on for a short period of time. I think if we telegraph that very quickly – very carefully and clearly, I think people are going to be reasonable and be willing to do that again.
GUTHRIE: There are some places where I think I might wear a mask forever now, such as the subway. I was on a crowded subway the other day and I was happy to have my mask on. What if I’m wearing it and nobody else is? Is it still providing any protection?
JHA: It is. If you’re wearing a high-quality mask, it actually provides a very high degree of protection, especially when you couple that with somebody who’s vaccinated and boosted. You can really protect yourself even if everybody else around you is not masked.
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