CDC mask guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday it is relaxing its mask guidance for communities where hospitals aren't under high strain.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday offered a new strategy to help communities across the country live with the coronavirus and get ...

And some officials in the C.D.C. and the Department of Health and Human Services are nervous about the changing guidance, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “If people isolate for five days, or even worse, we just let people go, it’s possible that we have the potential to see cases rise,” Dr. Sikka said. “We want to give people a break from things like masking when our levels are low, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things get worse in the future,” she said. The Omicron surge made it clear that because so many Americans have some immunity to the virus through vaccinations or prior infection, counties may see high numbers of cases and yet comparatively few that involve serious illness. Using the new criteria, fewer than 30 percent of Americans are living in areas with a high level of risk, the agency said. Though a growing number of political leaders, public health experts and ordinary citizens now support the easing of restrictions, at least temporarily, others are still wary. The recommendations no longer rely only on the number of cases in a community to determine the need for restrictions such as mask wearing. “By the time hospitals are overwhelmed, it’s too late,” she said. The new guidelines are being released as the coronavirus is in retreat across the country. Others are poised to end indoor mask mandates in the coming weeks. Case numbers have dropped to levels not seen before the surge of the Omicron variant, and hospitalizations have been plummeting. Several experts said the new guidelines were appropriate for the country’s current situation.

Find out what the COVID-19 Community Level is in your area so you can learn about what precautions you can take to protect yourself and others from ...

People may choose to mask at any time. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area. COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data.