Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More States Loosening Mask, Vaccine Rules
The New York Times: New York Ends Its Mask Mandate For Schools
Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that New York City was poised to eliminate school mask mandates and vaccine requirements for restaurants, gyms and movie theaters, by March 7, if case numbers remain low. The rollback of pandemic restrictions, which had served as a crucial weapon in the city’s battle against the coronavirus, is a milestone that many hope will help to restore a sense of normalcy in the city and boost its economic recovery. (Ashford, Shapiro and Fitzsimmons, 2/27)
Los Angeles Times: Newsom Scales Back Some Special Pandemic Rules, But Not California's State Of Emergency
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday rescinded a slate of COVID-19-related executive orders in response to signs of a subsiding pandemic, but did not end California’s nearly two-year-long state of emergency despite criticism from Republican lawmakers that he no longer needs its immense executive powers. The governor’s office summarized 19 provisions in executive orders that will be immediately terminated, which included requirements that all state-owned properties be made available for emergency use and state agencies to identify facilities for housing and medical treatment. (Willon and Luna, 2/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: California Will Reveal New School Masking Rules Today. Here’s What We Know
When California officials lifted the state’s mask requirement for vaccinated individuals in public indoor spaces a week and a half ago, they retained the mask mandate for K-12 schools, promising to announce a plan and schedule on Monday, Feb. 28 for eliminating it. The reason cited for the delay was needing more time to gather data on cases and vaccination rates. Now the day has arrived, and it’s still unclear what the state will recommend. Public health officials haven’t said exactly what criteria they’re examining, but Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s top public health officer, said last week that officials “anticipate being able to share what the next period of time will look like, and with some specificity give a date when the masking requirement will move to a recommendation.” (Echeverria, 2/28)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois COVID-19 Mask Mandate Ends Monday. Is It For Good?
Just shy of the second anniversary of his proclamation declaring the coronavirus a statewide disaster, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will try again to turn the page on COVID-19 restrictions Monday when he lifts his much-contested mask mandate for most indoor public places. Masks still will be mandatory on public transportation and in places such as hospitals and day care centers, and businesses still can require them as they see fit. But the end of mandatory masking in most settings represents a big step in getting back to normal, even though it comes as the highly unpredictable virus remains in wide circulation. (Petrella and Mahr, 2/27)
Elsewhere across the country —
AP: Boston Health Officials To Consider Ending Mask Mandates
Public health officials in Boston are weighing lifting the city’s facemask requirement for schools and businesses. The city’s Public Health Commission will meet Tuesday to discuss the matter. It comes the day after students and staff at Massachusetts public schools are officially not required to wear face coverings indoors. Gov. Charlie Baker announced earlier this month that the statewide mandate for schools would end Feb. 28. (2/27)
Hartford Courant: Experts Point To Health Inequality As Connecticut Mask Mandates Fall Along Geographic Lines
As students in all but a handful of Connecticut districts head into their last day of mandated mask wearing in schools, experts say the issue brings into focus health disparities in the state and how COVID-19 has affected people of color. Though vocal and well-organized protests have lent a political flavor to the issue of masks in schools, local decisions regarding whether to extend mandates beyond Feb. 28 have largely fallen along geographic lines, not political ones. (McAvoy, 2/28)
St. Louis Public Radio: Schools Move To Mask Optional
In recent weeks in Missouri, more than a dozen public school districts in the St. Louis region implemented mask-optional policies, including Rockwood, Parkway, Mehlville and Francis Howell. Monday is also the first day that St. Louis County will no longer have a mask mandate in indoor, public spaces. Public health officials indicate cases in schools are falling. Many large school districts’ public COVID-19 dashboards were reporting just a handful of positive cases at the end of last week. (Grumke, 2/27)
