Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More States Ease Mask Mandates Or Say They Will Let Them Expire
The Advocate: Louisiana Lifts Statewide Mask Mandate; Schools, Hospitals, Local Governments Can Still Require
With coronavirus vaccines now widely available, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday the end to Louisiana's statewide mask mandate, returning power to businesses and local governments to set their own face covering restrictions. Masks will still be required at K-12 schools, early childhood education centers, colleges and universities, hospitals, nursing homes, on public transit and at some state government buildings, according to an order issued by the Louisiana Department of Health. (Paterson, 4/27)
The Boston Globe: Baker Relaxes Outdoor Mask Mandate In Mass., Announces Timeline For Reopening Bars, Other Businesses
More than 13 months after COVID-19 first gripped Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday mapped a return to something resembling normal life, saying he will ease the state’s outdoor mask mandate by week’s ends, allow bars and street festivals to return by Memorial Day, and potentially release businesses from all pandemic-era restrictions by mid-summer. Baker’s timeline to lift limits on gatherings and daily life by Aug. 1 will rely heavily on the state avoiding another surge in cases. The second-term Republican — who was scheduled to receive his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine Tuesday — also said the state must keep up the robust vaccination rate that’s made it a national pace-setter across several metrics. (Stout, Chesto and Freyer, 4/27)
CNN: Tennessee Governor Declares That Covid-19 Is No Longer A Health Emergency With Only 25% Of State's Residents Fully Vaccinated
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signaled Tuesday that he will not renew any public health orders, saying "Covid-19 is no longer a health emergency in our state," though only 25% of the state's population is fully vaccinated. "A widely available vaccine changes everything and it's a new season in Tennessee," Lee said in a tweet. (Waldrop and Lemos, 4/27)
AP: Walz To Consider Scaling Back More COVID-19 Restrictions
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that new federal guidance allowing vaccinated people to go mask-free in many outdoor settings is a sign of progress and could help result in scaling back more COVID-19 restrictions next week. “Masks coupled with vaccines is really the path out of this thing,” said Walz, who hoped that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement would convince more people to get shots and encourage them to wear masks when necessary. (4/27)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Reviewing CDC’s Loosened Guidelines On Outdoor Masks, But Restrictions Remain The Same For Now
Health officials in Maryland are reviewing mask wearing policies after federal health authorities on Tuesday eased guidelines for facial coverings outdoors. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says that fully vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks outside unless they’re in large crowds of strangers and that unvaccinated people can exercise outdoors on their own or with members of their household sans face coverings. (Mann and Wood, 4/27)
