I believe that for the safety of Virginia workers and those at a higher risk of death by Covid-19, mask as well as other social distancing measures should continue to be mandated. I understand that wearing a mask can be inconvenient or difficult for some but it is our best defense against asymptomatic spread. There are a number of publications that support this, which I have included below. And although I completely respect the autonomy of every individual, we need to consider those who are of old age or are immunocompromise in our communities who we put at risk if we do not use a mask.