Originally Posted by
Excargodog
I read over the CDC proclamation citing chapter and verse of US Code. All 11 pages.
Can’t see where any of the cited laws allows them to fine people for not wearing masks or even enforce mask wearing. They can actually QUARANTINE people they believe may be infected, but not charge them with crimes.
Early in covid I did some reading and came to the same conclusion. There are long-standing laws which allow governments (at various levels) to require that you quarantine in the interest of public health... the penalties for violation can include jail time. Go back a century or two and epidemics used to be very real and very dangerous.
But for masks they'd have to try and piggy-back on some existing law since nobody seems to have gotten around to passing masker laws yet. Again, your prohibition example... most pols probably know better that to open a large can of unenforceable worms. We're getting to the point where they know that most rank-and-file LEOs will simply not enforce outrageous royal proclamations. Cops have enough problems right now without hysterical 911 calls for masks below noses, etc.