And by that, they mean "We need to continue our 'temporary' and 'emergency' powers."
This is just silly and insulting people. They might as well say "You can only buy meat on odd numbered days." Then a few weeks later say "Now you can only buy meat on even numbered days." Neither one reduces the amount of meat consumption. Similarly mask mandates, particularly arbitrary partial mandates like these, do nothing to slow or contain transmission.
These mandates are all about continuing to exert power and control, nothing else. I will be you good money certain "leaders" are literally sitting around asking each other (and their staffs) "What can we have them do, or not do, next?" It is all about power.
It is a brand to prove ownership.
In the immortal words, “We’ve always been at war with East Asia.”