The Biden administration is set to significantly ease federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission today, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will announce today new guidance to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community, according to ABC News.
The new guidelines would allow most Americans not to wear masks in indoor public settings.
The CDC’s new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into consideration hospitalizations and local hospital capacity, which have been markedly improved during the emergence of Omicron.
The Omicron strain is highly transmissible. However, it has been found that the variant caused less severe infection than earlier strains, especially Delta.
Under the new guidance, most Americans will no longer live in areas where indoor masking in public is recommended.
The Biden administration is planning to shift its focus to preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, rather than all instances of infection, as part of a strategy adjustment for a new “phase” in the response as the virus becomes endemic, according to the news outlet.
The sources familiar with the change have spoken on the condition of anonymity to preview the CDC’s action before the announcement.
The change comes as the number of cases in the nation has precipitously dropped. Some states have even eliminated the mandates entirely, while others have kept mask-wearing mandates in place for schools and medical facilities.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has also said that a change has been in the works.
Last week, during a White House briefing, she said, “We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer. Our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes. Our emergency departments can’t be so overwhelmed that patients with emergent issues have to wait in line.”
However, Dr. Walensky did not give a specific day when the CDC would release the guidance. On Thursday, CDC officials refused to confirm a release date.
Offering no details on today’s announcement, Dr. Walensky tweeted Thursday night, “At @CDCgov, we have been analyzing our #COVID19 data and shifting our focus to preventing the most severe outcomes and minimizing healthcare strain.” The news was published on The Associated Press and ABC News.
