First, I’d like to express my thanks to the Summit Daily News for allowing conservative voices to be heard in a mostly left-leaning district, but opinions are different than facts. Kim McGahey’s column titled “The public health crisis is over” reminds me a lot of Bush’s “Mission accomplished” and Trump’s “It’s like a miracle, it will disappear” positive and wishful thinking, but way too early.

Red states like Texas and Mississippi have lifted all COVID-19 restrictions, yet new cases were up 27% and 62%, respectively, over the past week in those two states. As to whether mask mandates work, all one has to do is to look at state-level COVID-19 case numbers since the initial surge last spring. Red states with lax or no mask rules — like the Dakotas, Utah, Tennessee and Iowa — have been at the top of the charts for per capita COVID-19 cases for the past nine months. U.S. COVID-19 case numbers have dropped substantially since Biden’s inauguration, and as vaccine distribution continues ramping up, our country will be in much better shape by summer.

But we’re not out the woods yet, and new COVID-19 variants bring additional risk. McGahey, I’m sorry that government overreach is requiring you to continue wearing a mask, but let’s wait until we’ve won the war before declaring victory. Ask the Atlanta Falcons how it works out when you start celebrating your accomplishments before the game is over.