Coronavirus Round-Up: The Latest on Masks, Vaccines, and Lockdowns

The United States is averaging 3 million vaccinations per day, leading the deadline to offer vaccine eligibility to be moved up nearly two weeks. Despite this, some states are still seeing surges in new cases.

As average daily vaccinations rise, President Biden announced a new revised deadline to ensure all American adults are eligible to be vaccinated starting April 19^th, a deadline the mainstream media excoriated former President Trump over last year when he proposed it.

Meanwhile in Texas, where it has been three weeks since the state’s mask mandated has been lifted, new case numbers are hitting record lows.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the CDC’s infectious diseases programs, said we are unlikely to see another major wave of COVID-19 infections if we continue vaccinating at the current rate.
Indiana’s mask mandate has been lifted, though a mask advisory remains in effect while local governments can implement their own mask mandates.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced further steps to reopening the state but will not end the mask mandate.

Jill Filipovic writes for CNN that “mask-wearing norms” should be “more fully aligned with our values”, but also that the research shows mask use in open outdoors area are completely unnecessary, while castigating areas of the country in which mask usage is lower (despite seeing no appreciable difference in coronavirus cases between California and Florida, which took two polar opposite approaches).
Rather than celebrate the news of pushing the deadline for eligibility of adults for vaccination up, Vox calls it “largely a symbolic” gesture, trafficking in fearmongering and not following the science of Fauci’s predictions.
The New York Times reported on the issue of “vaccine passports”, calling it the new “cultural flash point” and criticizing conservatives for resisting mandates to proof of vaccination.

Newsmax highlighted the several states banning vaccine passports, from Texas to Florida, quoting Texas Gov. Greg Abbottthat “Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination.”
RedState focused on other comments from Dr. Fauci, who warned that the alarmism over states like Texas ending mask mandates despite plummeting case numbers is warranted: “It can be confusing, because … often you have to wait a few weeks before you see the effect … I’m not really quite sure. It could be they’re doing things outdoors”
Fox News’ coverage focused on the increasing cases in Michigan, noting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer receiving backlash from the state’s Republican leadership, who argues these numbers rose despite shutdown orders.

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