The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a simple online tool which can help people see if their area is at high, medium or low risk of contracting coronavirus, which is a decisive factor in new rules the agency released on Friday.
As the huge wave of Omicron-related cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States recede, new CDC guidance aims to help more communities return to a semblance of normalcy by assessing the need for pandemic restrictions, such as wearing masks. and social distancing. by district.
The guidance is non-binding, so local mask requirements may still apply, and federal mask requirements for public transportation and air travel remain in effect. until at least March 18. However, some states have had few restrictions to begin with, and many state and local governments have already eased many restrictions, including on masks. The CDC’s actions are likely to trigger more such moves.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, warned Americans not to let their guard down. “We want to give people a break from things like disguises when our levels are low and then be able to call on them again if things get worse in the future,” she said, announcing the new leadership on Friday. “We have to be ready, and we have to be ready for whatever comes next.”
According to the agency’s previous criteria, about 95 percent of US counties were at high risk. Using the new criteria — new Covid-related hospitalizations, percentage of hospital beds occupied by Covid patients, and new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people — less than 30 percent of the population is in high-risk areas.
New CDC tool allows users to define their state and then select their county. This gives a color-coded sensor—green for low risk, yellow for medium, and orange for high—along with the appropriate recommendations. All results are reminders of the importance of vaccinations and boosters, measures that prevented the Omicron wave from causing much more devastating damage in the form of serious illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.
In Los Angeles County, California, the risk is currently high and it is recommended that you wear a mask in enclosed public areas. Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit, is at medium risk and residents with particular vulnerabilities are urged to ask their doctors if they need masks. New York County, which covers Manhattan, is in a low-risk area and it is recommended that masks be optional. However, it notes that “people with symptoms, a positive test, or contact with someone with Covid-19” must wear masks.