Face Mask Guidance Depends on Location

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Feb. 25, 2022, it had modified face mask guidance for communities where hospitals are not under high strain from COVID-19 cases.

Under the CDC's "COVID-19 Community Levels," an area is deemed "high" risk if it has concerning levels of COVID-19 hospital admissions and under-capacity for servicing new patients.

Under the new CDC guidance, over 50% of the U.S. population currently lives in an area considered low or medium risk. This coding indicates those residents are advised they can be indoors without wearing masks.

However, the CDC recommends continued mask use in communities where serious cases of COVID-19 are straining the health system.

The CDC released updated county-by-county risk levels weekly on its website.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. agency has changed course on face-masking several times.

For example, in May 2021, the CDC announced guidance that fully vaccinated people could safely stop wearing masks indoors, only to reverse that advice two months later as breakthrough cases increased, reported NPR.