Baltimore mayor tells unvaccinated citizens to 'shut up': 'It's your fault that we're going back to having an indoor mask mandate'



Democratic Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott left no doubt who he blames for the spike in COVID-19 cases in his city — and the subsequent resumption of mask mandates.

"For anyone that's frustrated about wearing a mask — and you're not vaccinated — then look in the mirror. It's your fault that we're going back to having an indoor mask mandate," Scott said last Friday. "Make sure that folks get vaccinated. If you're not vaccinated, shut up. Don't complain."

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott: “If you're not vaccinated, shut up, don't complain.”@wbaltv11 https://t.co/al6jpTKpy8

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) 1628751200.0

How did folks react?

As you might guess, more than a few folks on Twitter didn't take too kindly to Scott's throwdown against the unvaccinated:

  • "No, Mayor, show us actual STUDIES, NOT opinions that masks, etc. work. You can't, because there are NO studies that have shown that they DO work, only that they MIGHT have SOME benefit AND that they MIGHT cause some harm. Also, > 99% survival for MOST people," one commenter wrote. "So, YOU shut up!"
  • "Damn, Baltimore elected this guy?" another user quipped. "You don't even have to present as moderately intelligent for democrats to vote for you anymore."
  • "Another medically illiterate idiot just parroting what the establishment says," another commenter said.
  • "No, it's YOUR fault," another user declared. "You're the person forcing people to do things against their will. You're the tyrant. I'm an adult and I already have a daddy. You're making decisions about other people's lives that you have no right to make."
  • "And yet … a buddy of mine just got COVID from a vaxed individual, that had called of sick the week prior, ended up testing positive. His whole family got [COVID]," another commenter shared. "Again: From a vaxed co-worker. So stop saying it's someone's fault and admit there is no sure fire way to fix this!"

WJZ-TV reported that new COVID-19 cases in Baltimore City are up 749% in just one month but deaths remain down.

Image source: WJZ-TV video screenshot

Anything else?

Baltimore County officials also pressed for more vaccinations.

"Take it from me as a COVID survivor. Getting the vaccine can truly mean the difference between life or death," Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Branch told the station, adding, "That Delta variant is a beast, and what we're trying to do is prevent the next one."

Image source: WJZ-TV video screenshot

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski noted to WJZ that the "we're focused on getting vaccines in arms. That is our best tool, and it's how we avoid any other steps" and that "with school starting in a few weeks, we must increase our vaccination rates. The urgency is as great as it's ever been."

Baltimore mayor announces that mental health ‘counselors’ — instead of police — will be sent to some 911 calls



Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) has announced a new pilot program that will direct some 911 emergency calls to mental health professionals in lieu of notifying law enforcement officials.

What are the details?

According to a report from WJZ-TV, 911 dispatchers in the city receive about 36 emergency mental health calls a day.

Those calls will now go to dedicated mental health counselors trained in conflict resolution.

"Think about the sheer number of hours that our police officers are actually out dealing with something that they're not trained to do, versus being out there going after someone who's committed an armed carjacking," Scott reasoned.

Last week, The Baltimore Sun reported that the program — 911 Diversion Pilot — "aims to connect callers with the most appropriate resources and responses for their needs."

The outlet cited a 2015 study from the Treatment Advocacy Center that found "people with untreated mental illness were more likely to die during an altercation with police officers than those without mental illness."

During a Friday news conference, Scott said, "This pilot is not about defunding the police, but rather acknowledging that police department cannot tackle violent crime, our fire department cannot tackle public health and mental emergencies — and everything else."

When will the program start?

The new program, the station reported, is set to start in June and will reportedly not cost the city any further monies as the city is said to possess existing contracts with all nonprofit organizations providing the counselors' care and participation in the new program.

Baltimore resident Denise Mack says that the violence has to stop.

"[I]t's just getting worse," she told the station. "You've got to go to funerals, got to see your son or nephew lying there. It's bad. I just wish everyone would get themselves together."

Homicides in the embattled city, WJZ reported, have risen 15% year over year.