This past weekend, Los Angeles officials reinstated a mask mandate indoors across the city. As the city seems to be divided on whether it's a good or bad idea to make everyone start using masks again, the LA Times published an editorial piece with an interesting approach to deal with those who refuse inoculation - "It's time to get tough on Covid vaccine evaders".
While a whopping 41% of Americans have yet to receive at least one vaccination and the threat of the highly contagious Delta variant, the city of Los Angeles seems to be divided on how to deal with the unvaccinated and the ongoing mask mandate, despite vaccine status. Cities like San Francisco are getting "tough" by requiring city workers to get vaccinated as soon as the FDA formally approves the vaccines. The city is also requiring that workers in high-risk workplaces, like hospitals and nursing facilities, be fully vaccinated by September 15th.
Many are divided on the recent mask mandates as a lot find it unfair that a large majority that is already vaccinated, have to re-mask due to others refusing to get vaccinated. As U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, Rochelle Walensky mentioned last week, 97% of new hospitalizations are patients who are unvaccinated. Should Los Angeles officials look to San Francisco and consider similar requirements for the unvaccinated? Does Los Angeles need to get "tough" with people who are refusing inoculation?