How?
From Idaho, where all mitigation has been left to local officials:
The hospital in Coeur dβAlene reached 99% capacity a day earlier, even after doubling up patients in rooms and buying more hospital beds. Idaho is one of several states where a surge of COVID-19 infections is overwhelming hospitals, likely in part because cooler weather is sending people indoors, U.S. health officials said
βWeβre facing staff shortages, and we have a lot of physician fatigue. This has been going on for seven months β weβre tired,β Lee said. He introduced several doctors who testified about the struggle COVID-19 patients face, the burden on hospitals and how masks reduce the spread of the virus.
But the board voted 4-3 to end the mask mandate. Board members overseeing the operations of Idahoβs public health districts are appointed by county commissioners and not required to have any medical experience.
Board member Walt Kirby said he was giving up on the idea of controlling the spread of coronavirus.
βI personally do not care whether anybody wears a mask or not. If they want to be dumb enough to walk around and expose themselves and others, thatβs fine with me,β Kirby said. βNobodyβs wearing the damned mask anyway. ... Iβm sitting back and watching them catch it and die. Hopefully Iβll live through it.β
Another member, Allen Banks, denied COVID-19 exists.
βSomethingβs making these people sick, and Iβm pretty sure that itβs not coronavirus, so the question that you should be asking is, βWhatβs making them sick?ββ he told the medical professionals who testified.