According to two people acquainted with the situation, the Biden administration will dramatically loosen federal mask-wearing standards to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, which means that most Americans will no longer be urged to wear masks in indoor public places.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will announce a shift in the metrics it uses to evaluate whether to prescribe face coverings, moving away from COVID-19 case counts and toward a more holistic picture of risk from the coronavirus to a population. Masks are currently suggested for persons who live in communities with significant or high transmission – nearly 95 percent of U.S. counties, according to the most recent data.
The new metrics will still assess caseloads, but will also weigh hospitalizations and local hospital capacity, both of which have significantly increased since the development of the omicron version. That strain is extremely transmissible, although there are signs that it is less severe than previous strains, especially for persons who have been fully vaccinated and boosted. According to current research, the vast majority of Americans will no longer live in places where indoor masking in public is suggested.
The new regulation comes as the Biden administration shifts its focus from avoiding major disease and death from COVID-19 to preventing serious sickness and death as part of a strategy adjustment for a new “phase” in the response when the virus becomes endemic.
Before the announcement, two people familiar with the change spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the CDC’s action.
The adjustment comes as nearly all U.S. states that enacted indoor mask-wearing laws in response to the winter omicron surge are allowing them to lapse since cases have decreased sharply across the country. Some have completely repealed the laws, while others have retained the mask-wearing rules for schools and medical facilities.
It was unclear how the new CDC recommendation will effect federal laws in the United States regulating facial coverings on public transit.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has stated that a change is in the works.
“Another crucial metric to consider is hospital capacity.” Our hospitals must be able to care for those suffering from heart attacks and strokes. “Our emergency departments cannot be so overburdened that patients with life-threatening issues must wait in line,” she said during a White House briefing last week.
She did not, however, provide a particular date when the CDC will announce a change. On Thursday, CDC authorities refused to confirm a release date.
“At @CDCgov, we have been analyzing our #COVID19 data and shifting our focus to preventing the most severe outcomes and minimizing healthcare strain,” Walensky tweeted Thursday night, offering no details on Friday’s announcement.
