Violet Affleck Urges UN to Reinstate Masks, Calls Filtered Air Human Right

Violet Affleck, daughter of actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, addressed the United Nations at the "Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action" event, urging a return to mask mandates and stronger public health protections to combat COVID-19 and its long-term effects. The 19-year-old, who has a post-viral condition herself, criticized adults for downplaying airborne transmission and long COVID, warning that children are suffering from chronic illnesses at unprecedented rates and that the current generation's health is being neglected. She emphasized that filtered air should be considered a human right, as essential as filtered water, and called for widespread clean air infrastructure. Violet's speech highlighted the ongoing risks of COVID-19, particularly the threat of long COVID surpassing asthma as the most common chronic illness among children. She has been a consistent mask advocate, previously speaking out against mask bans and hospital mask policies in Los Angeles. Her activism combines personal experience with a broader call for responsibility and protection for future generations.