Health experts at UAB are calling on lawmakers to bring back a mask mandate.

During a press conference with health leaders on Wednesday, UAB Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Michael Saag said it’s time to put politics aside.

Democratic lawmaker Senator Rodger Smitherman from District 18 said he understands people want freedoms, but people with underlying health issues have those same rights to be safe.

Republican lawmaker Representative Andrew Sorrell from House District 3 said he does not support mandates and that the decision needs to come from each person doing the right thing – not the government telling folks what to do.

Both lawmakers said they don’t foresee more than conversations for a mask mandate to come back unless the state health officer or governor implements one.

Saag said we would have lost World War II with the attitudes we are seeing in the public right now.

One thing lawmakers and health leaders do agree on is that the vaccine is the best weapon to get past the spike in coronavirus cases we are seeing today, and they urge you to go out now and get vaccinated as soon as you can.

CBS 42 NEWS