Lots of news on coronavirus, masks, and the people who do not want to wear them, so let's dive right in! Don't forget to WEAR A MASK, ASSHOLE.

Let's start with this guy, who was actually responsible for medical care for American presidents:

Dr. Ronny, A Medical Professional, Is Not Big On Masks. Do Not Let Him Cut On You

Wednesday morning, after his win in the primary runoff for Texas's 13th Congressional District, former White House physician Ronny "Donald Trump could live 200 years" Jackson went on "Fox and Friends," where he explained that even though Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott has ordered masks be worn in most of the state, that's really just a matter of personal opinion. You know, just in case you harbored any illusions that Jackson was a competent doctor and not a complete partisan hack. Asked to comment on CDC Director Robert Redfield's suggestion that the virus could be brought under control in a month or two if all Americans wore masks, washed their hands frequently, and practiced social distancing, Jackson insisted he didn't see the point of wearing masks to control infections, because freedom.

I think that wearing a mask is a personal choice, and I don't particularly want my government telling me that I have to wear a mask. And so I think that's a choice that I can make. I think you have to look at your personal circumstances and look at your surroundings and decide if that's right for you.

I'm a firm believer that that is a personal choice. I encourage people, if they want to wear a mask, wear a mask, but I don't wear a mask all that often to be honest with you.

Just a quick reminder that Dr. Ronny Jackson rejects fairly basic medical science. Fox host Brian Kilmeade followed up by wondering if the crazy "medical authorities" would ever just make up their minds about whether masks are useful or not, noting that the CDC had advised back in February that masks weren't needed, and golly, it's just a thing we'll never know. So yeah, guess the efficacy of that "if everyone wore a mask" proposition isn't about to be tested.

Texas on Wednesday counted 10,791 new cases of COVID-19 statewide, with exactly 100 new deaths in the state. Lots of people making personal choices without the government telling them what to do.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Smarter On Masks Than Trump's Former Doctor

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a statewide mask order for everyone over the age of six years old, possibly because she is a socialist tyrant who hates freedom, or possibly because the state's hospitals are running out of room.

"We''re almost to the point where our hospital ICUs are overwhelmed, Ivey said, noting last week 87% of the state ICU beds were full. Folks, the numbers just do not lie," Ivey said.

Ivey did do the ritual genuflection at the altar of "individual responsibility," stating that her preference is for people to act responsibly on their own. Now they just have a little nudge to help them remember what responsible action is: the kind that prevents you from spreading respiratory droplets in the presence of other owners of lungs, while theirs still work.

The mask order comes with a potential $500 fine for noncompliance, but Ivey said law enforcement's priority would be to educate people about public health, not make arrests. The order has the usual range of exceptions for people with certain medical disabilities, people eating or drinking, and the like. Also, this being Alabama, the order does not demand people wear masks while voting or attending church services, although they're strongly recommended. For fuckssake.

Alabama recorded 1,784 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, and 47 deaths.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Wins 'First Infected Governor' Prize, No One Attends Party

Kevin Stitt, the Republican governor of Oklahoma, announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with COVID-19, but that he still is "not thinking about a mask mandate at all" for his state. Stitt has urged Oklahomans to wear masks, but has frequently been photographed without one, including during a meeting of commissioners of the state Land Office on Tuesday. Stitt attended Donald Trump's June 20 viral plague-a-palooza in Tulsa, where he didn't wear a mask either.

"I feel fine," Stitt said, just a little achy, after his test Tuesday came back positive. "I was pretty shocked that I was the first governor to get it."

Stitt explained that Oklahoma still has "plenty of runway" when it comes to hospital capacity and medical equipment, so we guess he figures there's no need to do anything radical like take the most effective known means to prevent the disease from spreading without imposing a new lockdown.

"Do we have coronavirus in Oklahoma? Absolutely," Stitt said, but he said he wanted to avoid "going back in the bunker."

Say, dipshit, you know what would really keep people out of the bunker? A mask mandate.

Oklahoma keeps setting records for new cases, with 1,075 new infections reported Wednesday, and four deaths.

Georgia Governor Joins Death Cult, Voids Local Mask Requirements

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp explicitly voided mask mandates declared by 15 Georgia local governments, because nobody is allowed to do public health the Republican governor doesn't approve of. Kemp has at least not told Georgians they must not wear face masks, so there's that at least. Kemp had earlier said that city and county governments had no power to require people to wear masks, so he really had no choice but to crack the whip to make them respect his authori-tah.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson was the first local official to defy Kemp's ban on mask orders, and took to Twitter Wednesday night to protest Kemp's preemption of the city's mask rules.

Kemp extended some parts of his own executive orders on public health to the end of the month, like a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people and a shelter in place order for nursing home residents. But masks remain merely "recommended," wink-wink. Kemp's communications director, Candice Broce, explained, "We've been clear in previous orders and statements that local mask mandates are unenforceable. [...] The Governor has encouraged Georgians to wear them voluntarily for months now."

And look how well that's worked! Georgia reported 3,871 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday, and 37 deaths.

Everything's great, America!

[Fox News / Joe.My.God / AL.com / Tulsa World / US News / Savannah Now]

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