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Lots of people have stopped wearing masks. Here's how the issue has evolved during the pandemic

markus kemmelmeier
Heather Kemmelmeier
Markus Kemmelmeier

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden declared on "60 Minutes" that the COVID-19 pandemic is over. He later clarified, saying the situation is not as bad as it once was.

Biden’s comments come as public health officials are encouraging Americans to get the new booster shot — and as hundreds of people in this country still die every day from COVID-19.

During the "60 Minutes" interview, which took place at the Detroit Auto Show, the president also said, “If you notice, no one’s wearing masks.”

And in many, if not most situations, there are fewer people wearing masks now than earlier in the pandemic.

Over the last couple of years, masks have been political symbols, but also social ones.

To learn about that aspect of masking, The Show spoke with Markus Kemmelmeier, a professor of social psychology and sociology at the University of Nevada, Reno.

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Mark Brodie is a co-host of The Show, KJZZ’s locally produced news magazine. Since starting at KJZZ in 2002, Brodie has been a host, reporter and producer, including several years covering the Arizona Legislature, based at the Capitol.