Everything I have read from science journals suggest to me, the government is off its rocker.
Doctors wear loose fitting masks to prevent their droplets from hitting a patient.
Doctors wear N95 masks properly sealing them to prevent aerosol type contamination in either direction.
The original social distancing and cleaning practices were all we needed to mitigate... not stop... but mitigate spreading the virus. Notice that there was a dramatic increase in cases as the cold and flu season came upon us. This indicates it spreads just like the cold and flu. It has to do with the right temperature and humidity. people spending more time inside than out with little ventilation. And what did they do? Put public outdoor places off limits, forcing us inside.
Utter stupidity.
The mask requirement should only be necessary for people like food preparers.
The mask requirements we have, are an absolute joke. This virus is primarily spread in its aerosol form. Because of this, wearing a face covering, or ordinary cloth mask, is nothing but putting on a show. It's nothing but optics. The only meaningful mask requirement that makes a difference is to wear a N95 quality mask, and properly sealed against the face. Anything short of that, is just optics, unless you are in close proximity to another.
Ventilation indoors is a critical factor. Poor ventilation increases how long the virus stays in the air.
As for wearing a mask full time? That is the stupidest thing they have us do. It's as if they want this to last forever. When the masks get moist, with an infected person wearing it, the moisture and mask combination are now an aerosol generator, spreading the virus in the air far more than an infected person breathing without a mask on.
This is a very complex topic, but trust me. Politicians don't have our best interests as a concern. Their interests lie in getting that next reelection.