The “pious” claim of follow the science is as flimsy as a cloth facemask, argues Gerald Baker in the WSJ.

For months Americans have been warned that vaccinations don’t necessarily protect against Coronavirus transmission. Dr. Fauci alerted America to “impending doom,” and Joe Biden accused governors lifting mask mandates of “Neanderthal thinking.”

Suddenly everything has changed, continues Mr. Baker, as federal officials began easing mask mandates on Monday.

But with the Biden administration leading from behind, many states and businesses relaxed or abolished their mask rules. That prompted dismay by many of the president’s most loyal supporters. They took to TV studios and social media to bewail the betrayal.

Masks and Virtue Signaling

The mask had been the most joylessly visible way of signaling one’s virtue since sackcloth and ashes. Now it will be easier to tell the righteous from the deplorable, but millions will stray from the path of redemption.

Two national businesses, Target and Starbucks, have moved away from policies requiring masking among the vaccinated. California and New York announced they will be lifting mask mandates. New York will be effective tomorrow. California will be effective June 15, although the state warns it could push back the date.