Look, there will NEVER be enough police to enforce every Public Health mandate. Making Public Health pronouncements work depends upon educating the public and the public having faith in the public health officials.

I understand there was a shortage of N95 masks and a supply line problem since the Chinese literally turned around ships bringing these supplies to the US. And I understand that it was advisable that the better (ie, n95 masks) be reserved for the healthcare workers fighting on the COVID front lines, but whatever idiot decided to tell the public that wearing masks was NOT Protective, not advisable, and might even predispose the wearer to infection, was an idiot. I don’t CARE that people were hoarding butt-wipe, they should have been told the truth - that, yes, masks are good, but they are in short supply and until we can make more, just improvise with a bandana.

By starting up on the whole mask issue with a bald faced lie (no pun intended) the CDC screwed the pooch. When you start out deluding people - even for a good reason - you sacrifice the credibility and consistency you need to make public health directives work.