CDC looks to update mask guidance soon

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is planning to update a range of guidance in the coming weeks, including on masks, to focus on hospitalizations rather than just infection numbers alone, agency director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday.

“We recognize the importance of not just cases … but critically, medically severe disease that leads to hospitalizations. We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer,” Walensky said during a White House briefing.

Key message: The focus on hospitalizations is a signal the administration is shifting its messaging about the spread of the virus, and looking to give the public some positive news. The move would make it easier to justify lifting COVID-19 mitigation measures like mask and vaccine mandates.

“We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” Walensky said.

According to the current CDC metric, which is based on case counts, 97 percent of counties in the country are experiencing high transmission.

But mayors and governors across the country, especially in blue states like California and New York, have begun rolling back mask and vaccine requirements for businesses and schools.

Walensky didn’t commit to a timeline during the briefing, but the moves by states are putting pressure on the Biden administration.

The desire to move on from the current emergency was best illustrated by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients: “We’re moving toward a time when covid isn’t a crisis but is something we can protect against and treat,” he said.