The Republican-led Huntington Beach City Council voted on Wednesday to ban COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates in the California city.
Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark introduced the resolution on Tuesday, writing the mask mandates required in 2020 and 2021 “unnecessarily limited the freedoms of the citizens of Huntington Beach, even those who were not around anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or at risk of any exposure.”
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Those who test positive for COVID-19 would still have to wear a mask in required settings. COVID-19 cases have increased in Orange County recently, according to data from the Orange County Health Care Agency released at the start of August. However, hospitalizations have not risen.
People were encouraged to wear “a well-fitting mask in crowded indoor spaces” to prevent a possible spike in hospitalizations, as outlined by Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the agency’s chief of public health services and county health officer.
The city council saw a transfer of power to Republicans in November after four conservatives won their election, voting in a new mayor and mayor pro tempore. Orange County has shifted from Republican to Democratic policies in the last two election cycles.
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Senate Republicans have launched a similar initiative to that of the beach city, moving to prevent new mask mandates. Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the “Freedom to Breathe Act” on Tuesday. It would disallow certain industries from denying service if people are not wearing a mask. Vance encouraged lawmakers to make this a bipartisan matter and vote to block mask mandates.
“This legislation will ensure that no federal bureaucracy, no commercial airline, and no public school can impose the misguided policies of the past,” Vance said. “Democrats say they’re not going to bring back mask mandates — we’re going to hold them to their word.”
