Nearly every state in the United States is taking steps to remove remaining Covid mandates and introduce a “return to normal” – despite the federal government’s reluctance to leave the pandemic behind.
Analysis by CBS News found that 49 U.S. states had revoked or eased the mandate for indoor masks, or set a date for this in the near future. The only detention is Hawaiithe island nation, which has had the strictest mandates anywhere in the country during the pandemic so far.
These decisions from both the Democratic and republican leaders in America are coming as cases are declining almost everywhere. 49 states have seen a drop in Covid cases in the past two weeks, with Maine being the only deviation.
Across the country, the United States recorded 79,668 cases a day – the first time the seven-day average has fallen below 80,000 since Nov. 29. The number of cases has decreased by 38 percent in the last seven days and by 90 percent since Omicron caused a peak in mid-January of about 800,000 per day.
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that his state – the most populous in the United States – would soon switch to treating COVID-19 as endemic, moving from a pandemic as the state marks two years since the virus first became known. found in the United States
Hawaii is the only state in America that has not set out plans to end its mandate for indoor masks in the coming weeks. Pictured: A man wearing a mask on a beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 28, 2020.
Cases in California have dropped 80 percent in the past two weeks, and only 24 out of every 100,000 people test positive for the virus every day.
“We are going through a phase of crisis into a phase in which we will work to live with this virus,” Newsham told a news conference, announcing the “Smarter” plan on Thursday.
“People are looking forward to turning the page,” he added. “They also need to know that we have their backs, we will keep them safe and we will stay on top of that.”
California is now the first state in the United States to declare the virus “endemic,” and the most populous state is now joining a growing list that has begun to rescind mandates as cases continue to decline.
Newsom revoked his mandate for a state mask in the state for vaccinated residents in mid-February, although he left open opportunities for county and city officials to re-apply mandates at their discretion.
While almost all blue states, such as California, have removed these mandates for most indoor public places, masks are still required in many schools. School mask mandates are one of the most controversial policies in America right now, and some states such as New York, Delaware and Maryland still require children to disguise themselves at school without a deadline.
Federal leaders are also reluctant to revoke their mandates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends universal camouflage in public schools and requires people to wear masks when traveling on planes and trains.
However, officials opened the door to lift restrictions during a press briefing last week. Covid White House Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said the federal government was already looking for a life outside of Covid.
“As a result of all this progress and the tools we all have, we are moving to a time when Covid is not a crisis, but something we can protect ourselves from and treat,” Zients said.
“The president and our Covid team are actively planning for this future.”
“We want to give people a break from things like wearing masks when those indicators are better, and then have the opportunity to reach out to them again if things get worse,” said Dr. Rochelle Valenski, director of the CDC. , at a briefing last week.
“If and when we update our guidelines, we will make this clear. And it will be based on data and science.
However, a new threat may be around the corner. World Health Organization (WHO) officials warn global health leaders not to remain vigilant as Omicron’s stealth version spreads around the world.
The “stealth” variant, or BA.2, as officially classified, is a pedigree of the Omicron variant, lacking some key indicators that allow it to be easily ranked – hence the nickname “stealth”. It is not thought to cause a more severe infection than the original, BA.1, version of the variant, but is about 30 percent more portable.
The WHO reports that 35 percent or more of one in three Covid cases worldwide is stealth. The family quickly established itself in Denmark and the United Kingdom last month and halted a sharp drop in the number of cases.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that pedigree still accounts for less than five percent of cases in the United States, while its predecessor, BA.1, still accounts for almost every new case in the United States. America.
WHO officials say they are monitoring the situation and looking at data from multiple countries to determine the potential level of threat to the line.
“We are watching not only how fast these peaks are rising, but also how they are coming down,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist. said.
“And as the decline in cases occurs… we must also consider: Is there a delay in this decline? Or will we start seeing an increase again?
U.S. health officials, while monitoring the situation, do not appear to be particularly concerned about the new strain and are making plans to move through the Covid pandemic phase.
Covid deaths also continue to decline, giving US-based health officials even more reason to feel comfortable with the current pandemic. Daily deaths have fallen by 20 percent in the past week, with 1,782 Americans exposed to the virus every day.