As three new COVID-19 variants are spreading across the United States, some schools and businesses are reinstating mask mandates. On August 20, Morris Brown College in Atlanta announced a mask mandate for two weeks, citing COVID cases among students and CDC data that shows COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 30% across Georgia.
Health care company Kaiser Permanente also reintroduced a mask mandate at its Santa Rosa hospital and medical offices.
For some, the return of mask mandates is triggering renewed fears of getting sick. For others, it’s triggering renewed anger at being told what to do by the government, anger that is particularly strong among MAGA devotees including former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican Vice President nominee Sarah Palin. (In 2022, controversial podcasting star Joe Rogan called COVID masks “Democrats’ MAGA hats.”)
MAGA followers are now pushing the hashtag #DontComply again on social media to voice their anger over the renewed mask mandates.
Palin is declaring her renewed resistance and non-compliance with a new video. As seen below, she lights a match and sets a surgical mask on fire. She writes: “#DontComply. Keep a smile on your face as you politely decline #MaskMandate.” She added the hashtag #MaskMandatesDontWork.
#DontComply Keep a smile on your face as you politely decline #MaskMandate👎Today even Trig shook his head “nope”… not this time; if even in Alaska some are attempting😷then beware elsewhere #MaskMandatesDontWork pic.twitter.com/30TDaRZwJY
— Sarah (@SarahPalinUSA) August 23, 2023
Palin’s followers are replying to the video with compliments mostly about her appearance. After burning the mask, Palin films herself at night in a strapless red bandeau. As one follower replied: “Hot. I mean you Sarah (not the burning of the masks).”
Note: The CDC is predicting further increases in hospitalizations over the coming months as new variants spread.
