OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington State’s March 21st date to lift the statewide mask mandate is still in place for now but state officials are reviewing new mask guidance from the CDC.
The new guidance says people in most places can safely take a break from wearing facial coverings.
CBS News Medical Contributor Dr. David Agus says the CDC is basing the guidance on hospitalization rates.
“The CDC now takes into account the hospitalization rate, or the occupancy rate, in an area in addition to the case rate in areas,” says Agus. “Most of those places in the country have excess hospital capacity, so there’s not as much worry.”
The CDC says more than 70% of the U.S. population in counties where the pandemic is now posing a low or medium threat to hospitals is where people can go mask-free.
The agency is still advising that people, including schoolchildren, wear masks where the risk of COVID-19 is high.