I’ve watched in alarm and dismay as the course of action recommended by almost all of our nation’s infectious-disease experts has been shunned by many of my fellow conservatives and Republicans. President Trump, Vice President Pence and many governors either refuse to wear a mask or wear one only occasionally, sending inconsistent messages about the importance of citizens wearing masks even as covid-19 spreads at record levels.
I live in Austin, where our state pushed to reopen absent clear communication and guidelines about the concerted individual and collective actions that would be essential to reopening safely. When leaders said “We are open for business,” too many citizens heard “Life is back to normal.” Although some Republicans are now speaking up, for weeks there were mixed or no messages about everyone’s personal responsibility to don a mask in public.
I understand the need to get the economy moving. People have to work to feed their families; small businesses and restaurants must be open to pay their rent and employees. But reopening successfully requires deliberate precautions. When I did curbside grocery pickups in the weeks before Texas reopened, most customers I saw wore masks and were careful to maintain safe distances. In the weeks after reopening, things changed shockingly quickly: More than half the people I saw walking in and out of stores, both young and gray-haired, failed to wear masks.
Karen Hughes was counselor to the president and undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs during the George W. Bush administration.