Mask mandates eased across US as COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 100,000

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Several states announced Wednesday that they would ease mask mandates as the surge of the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to show signs of slowing. 

In New York, where the variant of concern began infecting huge numbers in December, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state would end the mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings. 

Masking rules would be kept in place for schools, and the governor said infection rates and hospitalizations have declined in the Empire State to a level where it is safe to rescind the Dec. 10 order.

"This fight is not over, we’re not surrendering. This is not disarmament," she told reporters, "but again the trends are very, very positive."

Masks will still be required in some places in the state, including health care facilities, types of shelters and public transit. 

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In the first week of March, the state will revisit whether to continue requiring masks in schools, Hochul said.

Also on Wednesday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he would lift the state's requirement for wearing face coverings in most indoor spaces but that the mandate will stay in place for K-12 schools.

Masks will no longer be required to enter restaurants, grocery stores or other indoor spaces in Illinois starting on Feb. 28.

"Vaccines work. Masks work," the governor said at a news briefing. "And, as a result of them and the tremendous commitment of our state’s residents, we are on track to come out on the other side of this latest COVID storm in better shape than even the doctors expected."

Pritzker also cited plummeting hospitalization numbers.

Travelers line up wearing protective masks indoors at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021.   (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday that students and staff at the state's public schools won't have to wear face coverings indoors, also beginning on Feb. 28. Masks will still be on required on school buses, per federal regulations.

"Given the extremely low risk to young people, the widespread availability and the proven effectiveness of vaccines, and the distribution of accurate test protocols and tests, it’s time to give our kids a sense of normalcy and lift the mask mandate on a statewide basis for schools," the governor told reporters.

Rhode Island will lift its mask or proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor businesses on Friday. 

Gov. Dan McKee said Wednesday that the state plans on ending its school mask mandate early next month. 

"We are in a much better place than we were in January," he explained, citing the state of the pandemic in Rhode Island. 

Earlier this week, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon also announced plans to end statewide school mask mandates by the end of February or March.

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On Monday, state health officials in California said the state would end its indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people next week. 

Masks for schoolchildren are still the rule there, but authorities said that they are "continuing to work with education, public health and community leaders to update masking requirements at schools to adapt to changing conditions and ensure the safety of kids, teachers and staff."

Some districts have continued to require masks despite the end of statewide mandates, and others have made them optional.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends masks for students and staff inside buildings and says that anyone who is 2 years or older and not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines should wear a mask indoors in public. 

Those who are up to date with vaccines should wear a mask indoors in public in areas of substantial or high transmission, and wearing a mask is required on public transportation and at transportation hubs.

On Wednesday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that the agency was working on mask-wearing guidance and following trends. 

A summer school student wears a protective mask, due to concerns of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, while listening to instruction at the E.N. White School in Holyoke, Massaschusetts, on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.   (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

"What I will say, though is, you know, our hospitalizations are still high, our death rates are still high," she noted, echoing comments from previous interviews. "So, as we work towards that and as we are encouraged by the current trends, we are not there yet."

Walensky has said she is "cautiously optimistic" about declining cases and hospitalizations. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser for President Biden, said in a Tuesday interview with the Financial Times that the U.S. is almost past the "full-blown" pandemic phase of the coronavirus.

The White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday that the nation is "moving toward a time when COVID won’t disrupt our daily lives."

"The president, as I just mentioned, has been clear that we’re moving toward a time when COVID won’t disrupt our daily lives, a time when COVID won’t be a constant crisis so we’re no longer fearing lockdowns and shutdowns, but getting back to safely doing what we all love.  In doing so, we will rely on the powerful set of tools that have been built: the vaccines, the booster shots, treatments and testing," he said, noting that the White House would "continue to coordinate closely with state and local leaders." 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration wants to "ensure that public health guidance we’re providing meets the moment we’re in," and that there are positive signs in the data.

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In states where masking is no longer recommended, she told reporters that residents should still continue to follow CDC guidance. 

While omicron has appeared to calm in states around the country and data from Health and Human Services (HHS) shows COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped below 100,000, the threat of another variant emerging continues to loom.

Deaths are still exceeding previous pandemic peaks in the U.S., and the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center showed that tally at 3,435 in the past day, with new cases now just 215,748 – down from more than a million last month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.