Gov. Tate Reeves’ eagerness to lift mask mandates in Mississippi is understandable. The Republican caught plenty of heat from his conservative base over masks, business capacity limits and other restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
So it was no surprise this week when Reeves made Mississippi one of the first two in the country to drop mask mandates and other precautions.
Eliminating the statewide restrictions may not have a great impact. Mayors in a number of cities, including three in Pike County, have their own mask mandates and other orders in effect. The governor’s decision does not affect those local ones. Nor are schools affected.
Further, it’s been easy to see over the past several months who’s been “part of the team” about the coronavirus and who hasn’t. Most people have worn masks in public, avoided crowds and generally used common sense. But others seem proud to ignore every mandate.
It is common sense that as more people get vaccinated — a program that’s going full speed ahead, if the daily line of cars on Veterans Boulevard is any indication — the number of infections should continue to decline. The governor is betting that this will happen.
He’s probably correct. Most of his decisions over the past year have been sound. Still, the numbers say that despite the recent reduction in infections and deaths, Mississippi’s current figures are higher than they were for most of 2020.
— Jack Ryan, Enterprise-Journal
