AOC, Lori Lightfoot REFUSE to take off masks despite new CDC guidance

The CDC said masks are not required for vaccinated people, but that's not good enough for Lori Lightfoot and AOC, both of who have been vaccinated. The Chicago mayor and the New York congresswoman have both said that regardless of what the science-based guidance from the CDC says, their faces are staying masked.

"To say, 'If you're vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask.' that's great. But what about all of the other people who... aren't vaccinated? So I think... most people are gonna continue to wear masks outside of their homes. And I think that's great," Lightfoot told MSNBC on Monday.

This isn't just a personal choice for Lightfoot. She intends to "encourage others" to flout CDC guidance and "wear a mask in public" just in case. She thinks the CDC should be clearer on their guidance that vaccinated people don't need to wear masks.

Lightfoot seems to think that, with this round of guidance, the CDC is just acting too fast. "I know for me personally," she said, "I'm gonna continue to wear a mask in public and I’m gonna encourage others to do so. We’ve got to make sure that people are continuing to follow the public health guidance that has gotten us this far. And masks, I think, are a big and important part of that."

"To say, 'If you're vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask,' that’s great. But what about all of the other people who are out there that aren't vaccinated? And there’s no way to know that. So I think for the time being, most people are gonna continue to wear masks outside of their homes. And I think that's smart."

AOC told her Instagram followers on Saturday that "If you want to keep wearing your mask then do it. Personally I’m going to keep wearing my mask in shared indoor public spaces like elevators, subway, grocery store, etc."

"NYC got hit so hard that I think some of us are going to take time adjusting as we feel comfortable."

But that's not all, for AOC, masking is more about science and medical necessity, it's a reason not to do her makeup. She said that "It's a nice accessory when you don't want to do all your makeup."

And it's not just a pandemic-era thing, either, but for use anytime she's got a bit fo a sniffle and just wants to play it safe. "Mask wearing is also something I’ll probably continue doing overall from time to time if I feel like I might be coming down with something and don’t want to spread it."

When the new CDC guidance was released last week, President Joe Biden cautioned that Americans should all be kind and respectful to those who want to stay masked.

"Y'know, some may say they just feel more comfortable continuing to wear a mask. They may feel that way. So if you're someone with a mask, you see them, please treat them with kindness and respect," Biden said.

Perhaps AOC and Lori Lightfoot are exactly the type of sensitive, fearful people who want to stay masked not because medical science tells them to, but because they just feel better that way.