Those are the relevant issues here. Not anything else.

1) Does "the government"--from something as specific as a county building inspector to a state boiler inspector to the current occupant of the Executive Mansion--retain the right to micromanage any or every aspect of our operation, and to what ends?
(I'm in no way promoting the anarchy of no government. I'm simply pointing out that, while a zoning inspector may implicitly have the right granted by local authority to pass judgement on your enginehouse pole shed or your reconstructed depot--absent demanding bribes or graft--the presumed authority to force all transportation passengers or bar/restaurant goers to wear masks in the name of public safety is far murkier.)

2) What is, or will be, the long-term impact of the "scary" environment perpetrated by masking, closures, "social distancing," etc. on businesses, particularly ours focused on history and tourism?
There are, for example, bars and restaurants still in jeopardy from the loss of business over the last two years; I'm regularly getting updates from the brewing industry journals on this being "the year that many brewpubs will go under" even though we're supposedly getting "back to normal." (To be fair, some have been waiting for the microbrewery "bubble" to burst for a decade now, just like the real-estate "bubble.") There are many businesses that will not be able to sustain themselves in "the new normal" some insist we have to adopt now. Thus the rage-filled debates as to whether we have to "adopt" that "new normal" or not.
On the other hand, Yellowstone National Park had a record-setting year in 2021, driven largely by people seeking a "well-spaced" outdoor tourism setting not (necessarily) hidebound by mask wearing. Other national and state parks reported similar spikes in visitation. RV sales are still staggeringly high even with price spikes similar to that of new cars.

To my eye, there's nothing wrong with discussing and debating on this forum the aspects of the pandemic that affect(ed) our businesses and vocations, and mask wearing and mandated "social distancing" absolutely play their roles in this--or even whether masking is needed on open cars like the Potomac Eagle's and Verde Canyon's flat cars. Debating whether masks work and/or screw up the school experience, whether China is to blame or Trump, etc. absolutely is NOT part of this forum's function.

Mask on, mask off... LOL

I'll always wear one if I'm blasting or running a grinder, though. That stuff really is nasty.