“As long as we’re stuck in this dichotomy of mandate versus no mandate, there’s a lot of Americans of all persuasions that react very negatively, rightfully so, to being told or forced to do something,” he added. “So I think it’s about winning over hearts and minds, about practical steps we can take to protect ourselves.”
Polis, when asked whether he thinks the US has finally reached the endemic phase of Covid-19, stressed that preparing “for an uncertain future” is what’s key right now.
“I think a lot of states are undertaking that. I hope the federal government is as well. What does that mean? It means that we don’t know what variant will occur, we don’t know when the current resistance we have because of prior infection or vaccine wears off. We need to be ready in six months or a year — if we need to — to be able to administer a lot of doses of a new vaccine or perhaps the same one quickly,” he said, adding that hospitals should also be ready for potential surges.
Democratic governor says party should push masks and vaccines ‘as a matter of personal responsibility’