Last Monday, Philadelphia made national news by reinstating the city’s indoor mask mandate even as COVID-19 mitigation efforts were being rescinded elsewhere. Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole, “The thing is, I could be wrong — people two weeks from now could be laughing at me, but if I manage to save lives because I’m right, that’s worth the risk.”
Bettigole’s determination was echoed across city government. Council members cited concerns about the impending mandate from the city’s business community during a hearing earlier this month on the Health Department’s 2023 budget. But lawmakers did not ask for the use of mandates to be scuttled.Kenney also defended the decision, saying “the mask issue, which I do not understand and in my lifetime I have never seen anything like it, has become such a politicized issue.
Health policy experts have also expressed dismay that the city’s decision to revoke the mandate three days after reinstituting it risks undermining confidence in the department.
Masks are optional for the Title 42 invaders.
If the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board knows anything, it’s a crisis of trust. …And for that reason, the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board endorses Krasner….