The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reportedly about to get on board with what several states and cities throughout the country have already done, including the most liberal ones, and loosen its mask guidelines. Zeke Miller of the Associated Press and Caitlin Owens of Axios were among the first to report on the news, citing those close with the matter, and indicating that it is expected to come as early as Friday. Live updates from The New York Times also confirmed as much, though noted "two officials who spoke to The Times did not confirm the timing."
As Miller wrote:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission — roughly 95% of U.S. counties, according to the latest data.
The new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into account hospitalizations and local hospital capacity, which have been markedly improved during the emergence of the omicron variant. That strain is highly transmissible, but indications are that it is less severe than earlier strains, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted. Under the new guidelines, the vast majority of Americans will no longer live in areas where indoor masking in public is recommended, based on current data.
"The new benchmarks will instead tie masking recommendations to a combination of a community's level of cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity, the source said," Owens also reported.
The reports do not much more specific information, as this news is merely a preview. How the guidelines will affect school children is also barely mentioned. "Some [U.S. states] have eliminated the mandates entirely, while others have kept mask-wearing requirements in place for schools and medical facilities," Miller wrote.
When it comes to how even liberal states are dropping their mask mandates or at least announcing dates to plan to do so, as they've woken up to the political science, Owens offers a sort of bottom-line there:
Yes, but: The new guidance may not have much of a practical impact for many Americans.
- Many cities and states have already lifted their mask mandates as Omicron subsides — and plenty more haven't had a mask mandate for a long time, if ever.
According to Education Week, as of February 23, 11 states plus Washington, D.C. are listed as having "mask requirement in effect" at schools.
The United States remains one of just a handful of western nations that require children to wear masks at school, who are among the least vulnerable when it comes to contracting a serious case of the Wuhan coronavirus. Further, masks may also harm the development of children, especially those with special needs. Back in November, as I covered, the United States was one of seven western nations with such mandates.