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Under the new CDC guidelines, up to 70% of the U.S. population can take off their masks.
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The agency relaxed mask recommendations for counties with low and medium levels of COVID-19.
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The new guideline reflects the CDC’s closer focus on minimizing serious illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed mask guidelines for up to 70% of the US population, or 63% of US counties, on Friday.
Counties with low and medium levels of COVID-19 are no longer required to wear masks in public, the agency said — although people at risk for severe COVID-19, such as immunocompromised people, should talk to their health care providers about removing masks if they live in a medium-sized county. Counties with high levels of COVID-19 — currently 37% of U.S. counties — still require masks in indoor public areas, including schools, according to the CDC.
The agency still recommends that everyone get vaccinated and boosted, if they haven’t already, and self-test if they feel sick. People with COVID-19 symptoms, a positive COVID-19 test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should continue to mask regardless of the transmission in their area, the CDC said.
The map below shows where your county is on the CDC’s new scale. Counties with low levels of COVID-19 are marked in green and comprise 30% of US residents. Mid-level counties are yellow and comprise 42% of US residents. High-level counties are orange and comprise 28% of US residents.
The new recommendations reflect the CDC’s closer focus on minimizing serious illness, limiting pressure on hospitals and protecting the most vulnerable.
“The overall risk of serious disease is now generally lower,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a news conference Friday. “As the virus continues to circulate in our communities, we need to focus our statistics beyond just community cases.”
Green counties must have fewer than 200 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, fewer than 10 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population, and on average less than 10% of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients within the previous week .
Here’s how those stats compare to the yellow and orange provinces.
Masking is still an option for people in areas with low or moderate levels of COVID-19, the CDC added, especially if they live with someone at high risk for serious illness.
Guidance is also subject to change, Walensky said Friday.
“None of us knows what the future holds for us and for this virus,” she said. “We need to be prepared and ready for what comes next. We want to give people a break from things like wearing masks when our levels are low and then have the opportunity to reach them again should things get worse in the future .”
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