DC to end bar exam mask mandate following Free Beacon report.

DC Officials Likely to Lift Mask Mandate for Bar Exam

Behind the Scenes of COVID Decision-Making

Officials in Washington, D.C. are considering lifting the mask requirement for the upcoming bar exam, following a report by the Washington Free Beacon. However, emails obtained by the Free Beacon reveal that officials are not happy about the situation and are keeping quiet about how and why the decision was made.

Upon receiving a request for comment from the Free Beacon, the court’s acting chief deputy clerk, Marie Robertson, instructed the court’s public relations director, Douglas Buchanan, to “control the narrative.” In an email, Robertson suggested that someone who didn’t want to wear a mask had leaked the story to the media to force their hand. She went on to say that they were likely to lift the mask requirement, but she preferred that they announce it closer to the exam and not have it come from the media.

The next day, after the story was published, Buchanan responded to the inquiry, thanking the Free Beacon for bringing a study on the harms of mask usage to the court’s attention. He added that “protocols may change between now and the time of the exam,” which is 12 hours long. He also accidentally forwarded Robertson’s email to the Free Beacon.

The exchange offers a rare glimpse into COVID decision-making and how unwanted attention can shock officials out of bureaucratic autopilot. In the past, the Free Beacon has exposed illegal allocation schemes for COVID drugs and policies that retard speech and emotional development in toddlers.

Mask mandates can have serious implications, especially for test-takers. A German study found that prolonged mask use can cause “difficulty concentrating” and “reduced cognitive performance” due to carbon dioxide buildup.

The D.C. court system dropped its mask requirement in April, two years after vaccines were widely available. However, masks are still required in the D.C. Court of Appeals.

Implications of Mask Mandates

Mask mandates can have serious implications, especially for test-takers. Here are some of the potential effects:

• Prolonged mask use can cause “difficulty concentrating” and “reduced cognitive performance” due to carbon dioxide buildup, according to a German study.
• Masking toddlers has been shown to retard speech and emotional development.

Conclusion

The decision to lift the mask mandate for the bar exam in D.C. is a welcome relief for test-takers. However, the behind-the-scenes maneuvering by officials highlights the need for transparency and accountability in COVID decision-making. As the pandemic continues, it’s important to weigh the potential benefits and harms of policies like mask mandates and make informed decisions based on the best available evidence.