And just like that — POOF — the CDC has brand new science to go on and is relaxing mask guidance for most Americans:
ATLANTA (AP) — Most Americans live in places where healthy people can safely stop wearing masks, CDC says in new guidelines.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 25, 2022
“Take a break from wearing masks,” they say!
The majority of healthy Americans, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday. https://t.co/Tkn2f3tTHk
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2022
This is good news, however, and we’ll take it:
#BREAKING: Schools should only mandate masks when COVID cases and hospitalizations are high, the CDC recommended today. The shift means most U.S. schools now have the agency’s OK to go without masks. Here's what you need to know. https://t.co/XSrAcHPpKz
— Chalkbeat (@Chalkbeat) February 25, 2022
The mask rule is still in place for airplanes and such but not for “buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care” which is good because it’s likely that nobody at the CDC ever bothered to see just how kids were wearing masks on “buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care”:
While the federal mask rule for travel remains in effect for most of country (i.e. airports), the @CDCgov today lifted the requirement for
"buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care"https://t.co/JL0ANyrwqS https://t.co/dgmM04Q2lZ pic.twitter.com/VWjbVHf8ru
— Alexander Tin (@Alexander_Tin) February 25, 2022
And, we’ll note, this is “interesting timing” with the SOTU just days away:
Interesting timing for CDC to announce eliminating their masking & distancing orders for children & the “vast majority” of Americans— a new war, hrs after a Supreme Court pick is named, late on a Friday afternoon, and 2 business days before a SOTU speech🤔 https://t.co/Qt6oJqTzLf
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) February 25, 2022
The science has changed, y’all. Again. Here’s the old map:
And Just Like That…within minutes our map went from
this (cont) pic.twitter.com/0L9RT3dTQr— Kavita Patel M.D. (@kavitapmd) February 25, 2022
And here’s the new CDC map:
(cont) To This.. pic.twitter.com/0zUeN8Jifw
— Kavita Patel M.D. (@kavitapmd) February 25, 2022
We expect everyone inside the Capitol will still be wearing masks, however:
NBC reported the WH pressured/urged CDC to ‘update’ its guidance by SOTU https://t.co/kGl6b6PrR2
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 25, 2022
We’re stealing this line, but, it’s political science not science that’s at play and it’s pretty transparent:
Here is the literal memo to the Dems from Biden's polling firm. Declare a win over Covid and move on. I suspect CDC will get the memo. Will @GavinNewsom and @lapublichealth? We shall see. SOTU is Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/1Enk5SIITk
— Julie Hamill (@hamill_law) February 25, 2022
And, of course, groups like the American Medical Association. . .
AMA president says he’ll continue masking indoors regardless of CDC’s updated guidance and recommends others do the same to protect those at higher risk: pic.twitter.com/tAPZQu7CbW
— Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell) February 25, 2022
. . .and the National Education Association are pushing back on the relaxed guidelines:
Today the CDC announced new guidance, shifting the determination of masking measures to the local level, based on local conditions. While we are encouraged by the new guidance, local governments must bring educators to the table when deciding how to keep school communities safe.
— NEA (@NEAToday) February 25, 2022
Exit question: What are these blue states going to do this winter when Covid surges again?
CDC director Rochelle Walensky: “We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing.”
A break… As in, mask mandates will come back with a vengeance after November, if you live in a Democrat run area.
Not in the free state of Florida 🌞
— Christina Pushaw #BuckTheCDC 🐊🚛 (@ChristinaPushaw) February 25, 2022
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