On March 3, Mississippi rolled back its COVID-19 restrictions, including its mandatory masking policy. Two days later, on March 5, citizens flooded the streets, restaurants, and shopping centres to celebrate.
President Joe Biden characterized Mississippi’s — as well as Texas’ — decision to clear COVID-19 restrictions as “Neanderthal thinking,” warning that the state will see a spike of viral infections and fatalities due to large, maskless gatherings. Some elected officials have criticized Biden for his comment, with Montana governor Greg Gianforte saying the “name-calling” was in poor taste.
The weekly case average in Mississippi has actually dropped since the restrictions lifted: going from 541 on March 5 to 389 on March 7. What’s your take on these figures?