New CDC rules for indoor mask use are more flexible
The new rule will allow not wearing masks in many places.
Photo: STEFANI REYNOLDS / AFP / Getty Images
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made a big change to its guidance on wearing masks on Friday, which allowed most people to get rid of their face coverings provided that hospitalizations for COVID-19 in their communities were kept low.
Per new CDC guidance, people are encouraged to wear masks in indoor public areas, including schools, when there is high circulation of coronavirus in their communities that increases the number of hospitalizations
, which could overwhelm local hospitals.
More than 70% of Americans live in communities where face coverings are no longer recommended under new CDC guidelines, because the hospitals are not under serious threat of Covid infections there.
People can check if wearing masks indoors is recommended for their county on the CDC website.
Under a new color-coded system, people living in green counties with low Covid levels they don’t need to wear masks .
People who are at high risk and live in yellow counties where there is a medium level of Covid should consult with their doctor about the use of masks .
People who live in red counties with high levels of Covid must wear masks in closed public places and schools.
CDC is updating #COVID19 community recommendations.
CDC’s new COVID-19 Community Level tool classifies every county in the US into low, medium, or high, with recommended prevention measures for each level.
Check your area’s level and learn more here: https://t.co/UZxX67a6M3.
— CDC (@CDCgov) February 25, 2022
The new approach from the CDC on the impact of severe disease on hospitals to require the use of masks, marks a significant change from the agency’s previous use that relied on the number of new cases of Covid infections as the key metric when issuing public health guidance, such as this one from the recommendation for the use of masks.
“With the generalized immunity of the population, the general risk of serious illness is now generally lower”, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said Friday. “This updated approach focuses on targeting our prevention efforts to protect people at high risk of serious illness and prevent hospitals and health care systems from being overwhelmed.”
The United States reports a seven-day average of about 75,000 new cases per day , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, a decrease of 91% from the pandemic record of more of 800,000 average daily cases observed on 15 from January.
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