Stephen Colbert pumps the brakes on states reopening

There is plenty of good news coming out regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and for some people, that means a return to normal is in sight. But as states start to reopen, the risk of another surge is a very real possibility. It’s why Stephen Colbert’s monologue last night preached caution when it comes to restarting life.

It was announced that Texas was “100% open” after Governor Greg Abbott lifted the state’s mask mandate and allowed businesses to operate at full capacity. Other states such as Massachusetts have also moved towards increasing capacity at certain businesses and expanding restrictions on social gatherings.

These changes come as President Joe Biden declared that every adult would have access to a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of May. It is welcomed news especially considering the difficult few months the country has been through in terms of hospitalizations and deaths.

But last night on The Late Show, Stephen Colbert came on the air to pump the brakes on the rush to reopen. He reminded his audience that we’ve been here before, using some well-crafted punchlines to get his point across.

Stephen Colbert is listening to health experts, not governors when it comes to reopening

Since the novel coronavirus pandemic began, Stephen Colbert has been encouraging his viewers to listen to the health experts over politicians. It was almost nightly that Colbert was pushing back against pandemic claims made by former President Donald Trump, conservative pundits, and others who were not taking things as seriously as Colbert wanted.

So it wasn’t any surprise to see Colbert hesitate to follow the lead set by Gov. Abbott of Texas. The Late Show host joked that Texas “seceded from reality” when it lifted mask mandates and allowed businesses to operate at full capacity.

Colbert also had jokes for Massachusetts and New York after those states announced the reopening of roller rinks and amusement parks among other locations. The late night comedian wonders who is eager to get to a roller rink before getting in a jab at Coney Island’s sanitation reputation.

Instead of celebrating the news, Colbert defers to Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky. Walensky says it is not the time to relax and we are not quite there yet when it comes to avoiding another potential surge. Colbert agrees, reminding his audience that the numbers now are similar to what they were last summer when things were still very much shut down.

It’s hard not to get excited about the good news coming out about the pandemic. But Colbert’s philosophy seems to be that we didn’t come this far to only come this far. If the finish line is in sight, he doesn’t want to see the country taking any shortcuts to get there because it will inevitably backfire.

What did you think of Stephen Colbert’s monologue last night? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.