North Carolina wants to tighten mask restrictions. Disabled residents are concerned.

[riversedge]

Source: abc news




Other states are also either enforcing or considering mask restrictions.


By Kiara Alfonseca May 23, 2024, 1:53 PM



Disabled North Carolina residents say a mask restriction that is under consideration in the state legislature would make it harder for them to access parts of their communities, pushing them back into isolation.

"This law says to them that you are not welcome in our community and we don't value your presence to accommodate your need to wear a mask," Tara Muller, a policy attorney at Disability Rights North Carolina, told ABC News.

House Bill 237, dubbed the "Unmasking Mobs and Criminals" bill, would repeal a COVID-19 pandemic exception that allowed people to wear a face mask in public. It allows exceptions for holiday costumes, rituals or ceremonies, theatrical productions, gas masks or employment-based usage, but would remove the ability for someone to wear a mask to ensure "the physical health or safety of the wearer or others."



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Muller's organization has said people have reached out with concerns about being able to go to a public health facility, to work, to a grocery store, or to just walk down the sidewalk and potentially being confronted by law enforcement or others trying to enforce mask-wearing restrictions. The concerns have come from people with a plethora of experiences, including those who are immunocompromised, who are undergoing chemotherapy, have had an organ transplant, and more.............

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Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/mask-restrictions-prompt-concern-fear-disabled-north-carolina/story?id=110443426

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OMG! The bill makes exceptions for many things

"..........., but would remove the ability for someone to wear a mask to ensure
"the physical health or safety of the wearer or others."

Link to tweet

Anti-masking bill approved by NC Senate
State Sen. Sydney Batch describes the battle over anti-masking legislation in North Carolina.

[Traurigkeit]

1. "the physical health or safety of the wearer or others." We're Republicans, we don't give a shit about anyone!!

[Angrybob2001]

2. Sneeze

Is covering your mouth when you sneeze a illegal act under this bill. Sounds stupid, but republicans in their quixotic quest to battle the woke armies of common sense can't seem to understand legislative overreach and loopholes.

[tanyev]

3. Thought they wanted everyone to have the freedom to decide whether or not to mask.

So they said. At first.

[ms liberty]

4. I have my doubts about this passing the Legislature. If it did Coop will veto it

We are home to Duke University Medical Center, Wake Forest's Bowman Gray School of Medicine and Baptist Hospital, University of NC Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center and I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
I still mask at times, and I'm out at doctors offices and hospitals with my MiL a lot now and see people in masks regularly. Some of us discovered that it kept us from catching colds and flus - and more importantly here in the south, cut down on allergies!

[LisaL]

5. What is nuts is that republicans are proposing this bill to begin with.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the insanity of the proposal, but I still am.

[yardwork]

6. I agree that they don't have the votes to override a veto.

I'm a little surprised that Phil Berger is doubling down, since the House rejected it. I think a convoluted bill will pass that everybody will ignore. Meanwhile, the damage is done. North Carolina looks stupid again.

[yodermon]

7. So let me get this straight:

They are saying public safety interests ("Unmasking Mobs and Criminals&quot outweigh my right to free expression?

Interesting.

I'll have to remember that.

[Eugene]

8. North Carolina House pauses passage of bill that would ban masking for health reasons

North Carolina House pauses passage of bill that would ban masking for health reasons (Associated Press)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina bill partially meant to address mask-wearing at protests was under review Wednesday after some House Republicans raised issue with the legislation’s impact on people who wear masks for health reasons.

The state House voted not to accept changes made to the bill by the state Senate that would remove a pandemic-era masking exemption for health purposes.

Aside from the health exemption removal, the bill would enhance penalties for people who wear masks while committing a crime and for people who block roadways during a demonstration. The bill comes, in part, as a response to widespread college protests, including on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus, about the war in Gaza.

The House’s vote means the legislation will head to a team of lawmakers to negotiate revisions to it.

https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-protests-masks-b0a929d65ba3d44b0c1c2e659a2b586b