According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the head of the Department of Natural resources is telling employees to wear masks on teleconferences. This includes when they are not around others and have zero risk of spreading Covid-19.

Even though they won't be spreading the virus, this gives the department's employees the opportunity to spread virtue signals unabated, even from the safety of their own home.

Natural resources Secretary Preston Cole reminded employees in a July 31 email that "Gov. Tony Evers' mask order goes into effect the next day which means "every DNR employee must wear a mask while in a DNR facility … also, wear your mask, even if you are home, to participate in a virtual meeting that involves being seen — such as on Zoom or another video-conferencing platform — by non-DNR staff," Cole told his employees. "Set the safety example which shows you as a DNR public service employee care about the safety and health of others."

GOP Rep. Joe Sanfelippo of New Berlin said he believed, in general, that most people should wear masks when they're in public. But the DNR's position that employees should wear them for teleconferences is "ridiculous", he said. "I'm more inclined to support things that actually do help as opposed to just putting on an appearance of helping," he said.

From a medical perspective, masks need to be worn at home only in limited situations, such as to protect people if someone living with them has COVID-19, said Nasia Safdar, the medical director of infection control at UW Health. "Beyond that, there is not a reason to routinely wear a mask in your home if that risk isn't there," she said.

DNR spokeswoman Megan Sheridan said the agency wanted to set an example and create "a very visual reminder to all that wearing a mask in a public setting helps prevent the spread of COVID-19."

Perhaps Zoom can join Instagram and add a "mask filter" going forward. I can't believe this is real, what a time to be alive.