Mask mandates end for most of the US

 

 

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• With Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations declining, mask mandates are ending in much of the US. While some welcome the change, other parents and experts are concerned masks are coming off too soon. [NYT / Alyssa Lukpat]
• Most US school districts are dropping their mandates following new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say that Americans who are not at high risk of illness and living in areas where hospitals are not in danger of becoming overwhelmed by patients can remove their masks. [AP / Philip Marcelo and Dave Collins]
• But restrictions aren’t ending for everyone. Public health experts still recommend masks for those under 5 since coronavirus vaccines haven’t been authorized for small children. Parents with schoolchildren are advised to consider vaccination rates among students in their area and the broader school community. [LA Times / Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money]
• Since Covid-19 is likely to be around in the future, experts recommend resuming universal masking as soon as case counts begin rising.  [Washington Post / Julia Raifman and Eleanor Murray]
• As masking is phased out, the federal government hopes to expand access to anti-Covid pills. The Biden administration has begun to roll out a program in which patients experiencing coronavirus symptoms can get tested and be prescribed a course of anti-Covid pills immediately if needed. [NPR / Pien Huang]