CDC Could Loosen Mask Guidance
As COVID cases and hospitalizations drop, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could loosen its guidance on indoor masking as early as this week, according to Good Morning America.
The idea would be that local communities could relax COVID restrictions, such as indoor masking, based on such factors as ICU bed capacity, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said hospitalization levels are a key barometer.
“We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” Walensky told reporters.
“Omicron cases are declining, and we are all cautiously optimistic about the trajectory we are on,” Walensky said Wednesday, as reported by GMA. “Things are moving in the right direction that we want to remain vigilant to do all we can so that this trajectory continues.”
The potential change in mask guidance comes as a number of states have recently announced plans to lift mask mandates, including California and New York.
For more, visit Good Morning America.
In other news:
- Dallas County reports 6,383 new COVID-19 cases, 62 deaths the week prior to Feb. 15 as numbers ‘decline rapidly.’ Read more from the Dallas Morning News here.
- An Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model estimates 73% of the U.S. is immune to omicron based on factors including the number of eligible Americans who received booster shots, and the number of confirmed infections. For more information, read the Dallas Morning News here.
- Curative opened a new COVID testing site at 5585 Caruth Haven Lane in Dallas.
