State legislators and law enforcement are reviving long-dormant laws criminalizing mask-wearing.

In North Carolina, Republican lawmakers are set to challenge Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent veto of a bill criminalizing mask use.

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has voiced support for banning masks on the subway, referring to an incident in which masked protesters harassed commuters with anti-Zionist slogans.

Similarly, students in Ohio, Texas and Florida protesting the Israeli war against Palestinian terrorists have faced arrest threats for covering their faces.

Proponents of reinstating mask restrictions claim that the legislation targets neither medically vulnerable individuals nor those avoiding respiratory viruses.

However, detractors argue that such measures are impractical and could lead to further stigmatization and harassment of mask wearers.

Americans with compromised immune systems and civil libertarians have long criticized mask bans as tools used against protesters advocating for various social causes. They argue that the revival of these laws coincides with the downgrading of COVID-19 from a public health emergency.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported rising coronavirus levels in wastewater across the Sun Belt, hinting at an impending summer wave.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.

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