Mask Mandates: States ease rules but CDC holds firm on guidance
WASHINGTON - The battle over mask mandates continues to unfold across the country. As more states with Democratic governors — including New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut — roll back statewide mask requirements in the coming weeks, the CDC is facing pressure to ease its mask guidelines.
"We are assessing the most important factors based on where we are in the pandemic and will soon put guidance in place that is relevant," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said.
The CDC recommends people wear masks indoors in areas with high transmission rates. That's nearly every county in the United States, according to CDC data.
But some medical experts argue it's time to move forward as new infections and hospitalizations continue their decline.
"We're getting to a point now where the disease is beginning to behave as an endemic disease," Dr. Jay Wolfson, a professor of medicine at the University of South Florida said. "And what it means is it's kind of part of the landscape the same way influenza is every year."
RELATED: Newark extends mask mandate but eases proof-of-vax rule
Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters
As the omicron surge subsides, a University of Washington model indicates more than 70% of Americans are, for now, immune to the variant. That could rise to 80% in the middle of March.
But doctors say omicron's impact on hospitals could last for a while.
"We have had such a significant staff shortage during the pandemic, it's really going to take a really long time to work our way out of it," said Becky Hultberg, the president and CEO of Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top authority on infectious diseases, said the CDC will continue to modify its recommendations as infections decline. But he added that kids in school should continue wearing masks for now.