Several states are easing restrictions, but experts warn that could be a slippery slope.
After months of an intense Omicron variant surge that seems to be abating, a growing number of states are making moves to loosen protective measures against Covid-19, including lifting their mandates for face coverings in schools and public places. But is now really the time to pull the trigger? Here’s the latest…
Which states are lifting mask mandates?
As of this week, officials in California, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Nevada have all announced plans to roll back requirements for masks.
As the country passes the worst of Omicron’s peak and Dr. Anthony Fauci says he expects the “full-blown pandemic phase of COVID-19” will be over “soon,” these leaders are eager to allow residents to embrace the less-restricted lifestyle they once knew. In announcing the end of New Jersey’s mandate for masks in schools, Gov. Phil Murphy called the decision “a huge step back to normalcy for our kids.”
But just because statewide mandates have been lifted, that doesn’t mean masks are totally a thing of the past. Many individual school districts still have the right to require them within their own jurisdiction if they so choose. And in many of these states, residents are still required to mask up in places like healthcare settings, theaters, taxis, and more — and business owners are still allowed to require face coverings on their property.
What do the experts say about lifting mask mandates?
First, the good news: Data does support the narrative that Covid is currently on a downswing. In the last week, the U.S. saw 43 percent fewer cases, 20 percent fewer hospitalizations, and 3 percent fewer deaths, according to analysis from the Washington Post.
But the experts aren’t so sure that pulling back on masking is the right move. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky (who recently gave Katie an update on the current state of the pandemic) said this week that “now is not the moment” to get rid of those requirements.
“I know people are interested in taking masks off. I too am interested. That would be one marker that we have much of the pandemic behind us,” Walenksy said in an interview with Reuters. “Right now our CDC guidance has not changed…We continue to endorse universal masking in schools.”
Walensky added that she’s encouraged by current trends in infections, but we’re still in tricky territory considering that CDC data shows nearly 36% of the the total U.S. population remains unvaccinated.
The concern that it’s too soon to strike down mandates is being echoed by other experts. An epidemiology expert told The Guardian on Thursday that government officials are being “too confident that things are going to keep going the direction that they have been going,” and CNN spoke to several medical professionals who agreed we’re better off holding onto mask mandates for a little while longer.
What if I don’t feel comfortable going maskless yet?
While experts agree that universal mask use is the most protective scenario in preventing the spread of Covid-19, they also say that masking up yourself offers much better protection than not wearing one, even if those around you aren’t covering their faces.
Last week, the CDC released a study that confirmed “consistent use of a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings” correlated to lower odds of a positive Covid-19 test. Subjects who wore an N95 or KN95 mask were 83 percent less likely than maskless subjects to contract coronavirus, while those who wore surgical masks were 66 percent less likely and those with cloth masks were 56 percent less likely.
If you still feel most comfortable wearing a mask in public, we’ve rounded up the best places to buy them online.
