States continue to struggle with how and when to drop protective COVID-19 public health measures, including face coverings, in the wake of shifting guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order yesterday banning Texas counties, cities, public schools, and public health departments from mandating mask use.
"The Lone Star State continues to defeat COVID-19 through the use of widely-available vaccines, antibody therapeutic drugs, and safe practices utilized by Texans in our communities," said Abbott in a statement. "Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities. We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans' liberty to choose whether or not they mask up."
The executive order says that beginning May 21, local governments or officials that attempt to impose a mask mandate can be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
In New York, the state has ditched mask mandates for those fully vaccinated. For the first time in 14 months, most businesses in New York City can return to full capacity if customers maintain 6 feet of distance, and theaters and other large venues can return to full capacity if they require patrons to show proof of vaccination.
"Today marks a milestone in our fight against COVID," Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted. "Vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks in most settings and most capacity restrictions will be lifted."
Just of 62% of all adult New Yorkers have gotten at least one dose of the virus, and 53% are considered fully vaccinated.
Cases continue to drop across the country
The United States reported 27,910 new COVID-19 cases yesterday and 867 deaths, according to the New York Times. That's a 35% drop in new cases in the last 2 weeks, with deaths down 12% during the same timeframe.
The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows that 349,210,095 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered in the United States, and 277,290,173 have been administered, with 125,453,423 Americans fully vaccinated.
While the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter for most Americans, psychologists are just beginning to study the effects of the pandemic on Americans' mental health. Depression and anxiety rates have stayed high since March 2020, and psychologists are now seeking to understand inequality and the long-term consequences of the pandemic, according to NBC News.
Other infectious disease threats
- The CDC's new guidance on masks may have killed any effort to require their blanket use in workplaces, Politico reported today. Unions and workplace safety advocates had been expecting that new rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration might include a mask mandate.
- The patchwork of state laws that govern whether minors can receive COVID-19 vaccines without their parents' permission is bringing a new wrinkle to efforts to inoculate teens and adolescents, the Wall Street Journal reports.
- A study suggests that hospitals in California may have overcounted the number of kids hospitalized for COVID-19, according to New York Magazine and USA Today.
