As Covid-19 Cases Continue To Increase Daily, Marylanders Begin To Wonder If Mask Mandates Will Be Reinstated
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- As the Delta variant continues to spread across the U.S., some are wondering if an increase in cases will force states to impose mask mandates once again.
For 10 straight days, Maryland has had more than 100 new COVID-19 cases every 24 hours. It's a disturbing trend that makes some people wonder if things will take a turn for the worse.
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the more contagious Delta variant makes up about 83 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Some areas in California have already made the decision to bring back the mask mandate.
Maryland has not reinstituted the mask mandate but if it happens, several people in Northwest Baltimore told WJZ they would support the decision.
"Nobody wants to wear a mask but nobody really wants COVID," said Mike Mattevi.
"I'm fine with it because I value my life and the life of others," said Ann Feild.
Earlier this month, Governor Larry Hogan said 100 percent of the people who died in June didn't get the vaccine.
At LifeBridge Health, medical professionals are trying to convince people the vaccines are safe.
"We used to do a hundred vaccinations an hour and now we're doing less than 100 vaccinations a day," said Dr. Jonathan Thierman, the chief medical officer at LifeBridge Health system. "If people who have not gotten vaccinated look at the numbers and look at the number of people that are getting very sick from the virus, they are nearly all almost all unvaccinated. So If that's not a compelling reason to go get vaccinated, I don't know what it is."
Maryland Representative Andy Harris, who is also a medical doctor, says he's personally been vaccinating patients.
"You should be getting the vaccine, this vaccine does in fact protect against symptomatic Delta variant and we continue to deliver that message," said Rep. Andy Harris.
More than 3.5 million Marylanders are now fully vaccinated. The state has rolled out lottery giveaways and even student scholarships to try to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
