Time to have a super-spreader, no-vax, no mask Easter!

It’s the spring holiday season. Passover has begun and Easter is around the corner. Plans to gather with family and friends? As NJ and NY enter Day 379 of 15 days to stop the spread, we also lead the nation in new cases. I thought states that opened we’re putting everyone at risk? Go figure.

Florida and Texas have dropped restrictions and they are seeing a decline in cases. NJ and NY have kept up restrictions for indoor gatherings and aggressively enforcing mask mandates and quarantines. Despite the fact that lockdowns are contributing to spread instead of stopping it, NJ Governor Murphy has halted reopening plans, now based on "variants" of the virus. Of course we've been hearing about mutations and variants since the pandemic started a year plus ago. It's why many experts are saying that the vaccine will have to be a regular/annual shot similar to the flu shot.

Variants should be completely irrelevant to whether the state and nation are 100% open. We are way beyond the point of rational government action. It may have made sense for a few weeks to pause in order to assess what we were facing. That's essentially what Florida did and as a result, they are back 100% with businesses and schools. They've rescinded the mask mandates as have more than a dozen other states and cases are dropping.

The really interesting thing is that with fewer than 15% of the US vaccinated, it's clear that the vaccine has virtually no impact on cases and spread. So if the vaccine is only effective to minimize the symptoms that an infected person will have, why is it held out as a prerequisite for opening? If states which are open are seeing a drop in cases, it would stand to reason that doctor Marty Makary from Johns Hopkins is spot on and we are in fact at the level of herd immunity, naturally.

So why the delay? Why the continued fear of a new variant which will cause "massive death and devastation" despite knowing factually that won't happen? Why are people still masking up by themselves, in their cars? Why are our legislative leaders so afraid of challenging the governor? It's not good enough that the Republicans have put in legislation to challenge the endless orders. Why haven't any of them shown up at the daily propaganda briefings to shout the truth? Why are other states open and functioning with almost no virus, but NJ is told we can't open until zero COVID?

None of this makes sense to those of us who haven't shut off our brains. For those of us in the "normal" camp, we're just going about our lives without distance and without masks, super-spreading normal behavior with the facts and reality on our side. Sadly, many of the "normals" have already put the sign on the lawn and are headed to free states in anticipation that this could happen again. Wait till flu season.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.