At least a hundred people gathered at the front of the Idaho Capitol on Saturday to burn masks in a protest against measures taken to limit infections and deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Some groups say mask mandates are a restriction of their freedoms. Health experts say they help slow the spread of the disease.
Also read: Texas becomes biggest US state to lift COVID-19 mask mandate
Videos posted on social media showed adults encouraging children to toss masks into a fire.
Republican Gov. Brad Little has never issued a statewide mask mandate, but seven counties and 11 cities have such mandates in place.
Visitors to the Capitol are asked to wear masks, but they’re not required and few Republican lawmakers wear them. A Republican lawmaker on Wednesday introduced legislation to prohibit mask mandates.
More than 170,000 Idaho residents have been infected with the virus, and nearly 1,900 have died.
A letter from the Editor
Dear reader,
We have been keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world that have a bearing on our health and wellbeing, our lives and livelihoods, during these difficult times. To enable wide dissemination of news that is in public interest, we have increased the number of articles that can be read free, and extended free trial periods. However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. As we fight disinformation and misinformation, and keep apace with the happenings, we need to commit greater resources to news gathering operations. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Support Quality Journalism
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
