Kansas governor mandates statewide use of masks
4 years, 6 months ago

Kansas governor mandates statewide use of masks

Associated Press  

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — Kansas Gov. “We have now enough data to really prove that masks work and no masks don’t work,” Kelly said. “I think it is in everybody’s interest.” Kelly said the state has not seen clusters in places like barbershops, hair salons or dental offices where masks are worn, but has seen a significant increase in places where masks are not worn. Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican often at odds with Kelly, said in a statement that a one-size-fits-all order like Kelly’s wouldn’t work for a diverse state. Kelly said she realized that some people may be outraged by the mask order, but said it is needed “if we want a healthy Kansas economy.” Earlier this month, the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature passed a bill giving lawmakers some oversight of Kelly’s response to the pandemic.

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History of this topic

Editorial: Banning masks at protests is a bad idea
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Editorial: Banning masks at protests is a bad idea

LA Times  

A pro-Palestinian protester gets into a car swarmed by pro-Israel protesters near Adas Torah on the 9040 block of West Pico Boulevard on Sunday. One of the ideas that Mayor Karen Bass listed that the city could consider in response to violence Sunday outside Adas Torah synagogue in the Pico-Robertson area was the role of masks at protests. But beyond …

Could L.A. enforce antimasking laws for protesters? Experts weigh in
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Could L.A. enforce antimasking laws for protesters? Experts weigh in

LA Times  

Some protesters wore masks during a demonstration outside Adas Torah synagogue in Pico-Robertson on June 23. “There’s no clear answer to antimasking laws,” because governing bodies must take into consideration the protection of anonymous free speech, said Barry McDonald, a law professor at Pepperdine University who focuses on 1st Amendment law. However, drafting a city ordinance that bans mask wearing …

Gov. Hochul considering a face mask ban on New York City subways, citing antisemitic acts
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Gov. Hochul considering a face mask ban on New York City subways, citing antisemitic acts

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that she is considering a ban on face masks in the New York City subway system due to concerns about people shielding their identities while committing antisemitic acts. On one train, a man who was not wearing a mask led a small group in chanting “Raise your hands if you’re a Zionist” …

North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime
7 months, 3 weeks ago

North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing forward with their plan to repeal a pandemic-era law that allowed the wearing of masks in public for health reasons, a move spurred in part by demonstrations against the war in Gaza that have included masked protesters camped out on college campuses. “It’s about time that the craziness is put, …

I'm an A&E doctor and this is why it's time to start wearing masks again... as experts issue dire warnings over a virulent new Covid variant
1 year ago

I'm an A&E doctor and this is why it's time to start wearing masks again... as experts issue dire warnings over a virulent new Covid variant

Daily Mail  

It’s that time again. Dr Saleyha Ahsan says she always wears a mask in crowded places Now one of the UK’s leading experts, Sir Andrew Pollard, who is a professor of infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, is predicting ‘a rise in infections in the population over the course of the next week’, driven by a highly infectious …

During the 2023 holiday season, face masks have settled in as an occasional feature of American life
1 year ago

During the 2023 holiday season, face masks have settled in as an occasional feature of American life

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The scene: A crowded shopping center in the weeks before Christmas. “I always carry one with me,” she says, “‘cause I never know.” Joe Holtz, co-founder and general manager at Brooklyn’s Park Slope Co-Op grocery store, walks the store’s isles where a policy requires shoppers to mask-up Wednesdays and Thursdays, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in New York. …

Expert who has never caught Covid tells Aussies to wear face masks every time they leave the house - amid fresh mandate in one state
1 year, 1 month ago

Expert who has never caught Covid tells Aussies to wear face masks every time they leave the house - amid fresh mandate in one state

Daily Mail  

A leading epidemiologist who has never caught Covid-19 has advised Australians to wear face masks every time they leave the house to avoid catching the virus. Dr Zoe Hyde,who has never caught Covid-19 has advised Australians to wear face masks every time they leave the house if they want to stay Covid-free A recent surge in Covid-19 cases - Australia's …

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.
1 year, 4 months ago

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.

LA Times  

Despite rising coronavirus outbreaks across Los Angeles County, officials said they have no plans for new public mask mandates — a sign of how COVID-19 policies have changed in an era of plentiful vaccines, lower death rates and back-to-normal culture. “We have such good tools right now that we really shouldn’t get there.” California COVID outbreaks hit workplaces, schools across …

Masks are back on at Lionsgate HQ as COVID outbreaks rise, including at ‘Masked Singer’ studio
1 year, 4 months ago

Masks are back on at Lionsgate HQ as COVID outbreaks rise, including at ‘Masked Singer’ studio

LA Times  

The change in policy at Lionsgate Entertainment comes after several employees tested positive for COVID-19, according to an internal memo. The policy change came after several employees tested positive for COVID-19, according to an internal memo. Of those, 14 were at workplaces, including a couple within the entertainment industry — the Directors Guild of America and “The Masked Singer” studio …

Atlanta college brings back Covid mask mandates as Government doctors in Seattle call for face coverings to be compulsory for healthcare workers - amid rise of new Covid variant BA.2.86
1 year, 4 months ago

Atlanta college brings back Covid mask mandates as Government doctors in Seattle call for face coverings to be compulsory for healthcare workers - amid rise of new Covid variant BA.2.86

Daily Mail  

This is because patients in the hospital are likely to be vulnerable due to age Calls for Covid face masks to return are ramping up amid increasing virus rates and the rise of a highly-mutated new variant. Morris Brown College, a private liberal arts school, is requiring students and employees to wear face masks in hallways and lecture halls for …

In-N-Out bans employees from wearing masks
1 year, 5 months ago

In-N-Out bans employees from wearing masks

LA Times  

Only workers in California and Oregon will be exempt from In-N-Out’s forthcoming mask ban in five of the seven states in which it operates restaurants. California fast-food institution In-N-Out Burger announced that it will soon ban employees from wearing masks in five of the seven states in which it operates restaurants, according to an internal memo leaked Friday. If employees …

Top disease control body clarifies mask use
1 year, 8 months ago

Top disease control body clarifies mask use

China Daily  

Passengers wear masks on the subway in Beijing on March 30. ZHU ZHENQIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY China's top disease control authorities clarified on Wednesday that people do not need to wear masks in outdoor spaces and workplaces, on campuses and when working out. The National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control released the latest mask use protocol on Wednesday evening, at …

Top disease control body clarifies mask use
1 year, 8 months ago

Top disease control body clarifies mask use

China Daily  

Passengers wear masks on the subway in Beijing on March 30. ZHU ZHENQIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY China's top disease control authorities clarified on Wednesday that people do not need to wear masks in outdoor spaces and workplaces, on campuses and when working out. The National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control released the latest mask use protocol on Wednesday evening, at …

Top disease control body clarifies mask use
1 year, 8 months ago

Top disease control body clarifies mask use

China Daily  

Passengers wear masks on the subway in Beijing on March 30. ZHU ZHENQIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY China's top disease control authorities clarified on Wednesday that people do not need to wear masks in outdoor spaces and workplaces, on campuses and when working out. The National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control released the latest mask use protocol on Wednesday evening, at …

This city had world's longest Covid mask mandate. Now scrapped after 1,000 days
1 year, 10 months ago

This city had world's longest Covid mask mandate. Now scrapped after 1,000 days

Hindustan Times  

Hongkongers will finally be able to leave home without a face mask from Wednesday, nearly 1,000 days after the pandemic mandate was imposed. Pedestrians wearing protective Covid mask Hong Kong was one of the last places on Earth to enforce mask-wearing outside, with violators facing hefty fines. "Making it illegal not to wear one is frankly anachronistic by now," University …

Explained: Why Asian nations aren't ditching the mask just yet
1 year, 11 months ago

Explained: Why Asian nations aren't ditching the mask just yet

Firstpost  

South Korea dropped indoor masking on Monday. “Without a mask on, they feel something is missing.” The dangers of air pollution are sharply felt in South Korea, where masks are a common line of defence on days when fine dust particles form a gray haze in the sky. “People have taken comfort in their faces being concealed, and they feel …

Japan to drop mask guidance, relax Covid strategy
1 year, 11 months ago

Japan to drop mask guidance, relax Covid strategy

Firstpost  

Tokyo: Japan’s government will drop its recommendation to wear masks indoors and downgrade its medical classification for Covid-19, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday. “We will take further steps towards ’life with corona’ and make steady progress on returning to normality in homes, schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods and all facets of life.” Masks are ubiquitous in public places and are commonly …

L.A. County ends mask order on public transit, in airports
2 years, 3 months ago

L.A. County ends mask order on public transit, in airports

LA Times  

With the number of reported coronavirus cases and hospitalizations declining, health officials said the time has come to relax the order. Masking is still strongly recommended in interior transit settings — and “from our perspective, means it’s a great idea to keep your mask on,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. L.A. County officials said they would …

Queensland's COVID-19 mandate for masks on public transport to be scrapped
2 years, 3 months ago

Queensland's COVID-19 mandate for masks on public transport to be scrapped

ABC  

Queensland is ending the requirement for people to wear face masks while on public transport. Key points: The rule will be relaxed for staff and commuters from midnight The Health Minister asked the public to respect those who chose to continue wearing masks Masks will still be required in vulnerable settings, by close contacts and those who have left just …

Philippines ending compulsory mask wearing outdoors
2 years, 4 months ago

Philippines ending compulsory mask wearing outdoors

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. …

COVID mask mandates for public and passenger transport in WA set to end next week
2 years, 4 months ago

COVID mask mandates for public and passenger transport in WA set to end next week

ABC  

WA's transition out of COVID is continuing with mask mandates on public and passenger transport to end late next week. Key points: Mask mandates will continue in aged and disability care facilities Visitor restrictions in those settings have been eased from Friday People are urged to continue wearing masks in crowded indoor settings Premier Mark McGowan said the move was …

COVID-19: Singapore issues new mandatory mask rules
2 years, 4 months ago

COVID-19: Singapore issues new mandatory mask rules

Live Mint  

COVID-19 social mixing restrictions in Singapore will be removed and masks would no longer be required in indoor settings, except in a few places, as per a notification on August 24. In addition to emergency ambulances and medical transport vehicles, mask wearing will continue to be required in all indoor hospital and polyclinic facilities including retail, food and beverage, common …

Los Angeles County avoids new mask rule as COVID stabilizes
2 years, 5 months ago

Los Angeles County avoids new mask rule as COVID stabilizes

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County dropped a plan to impose a universal indoor mask mandate this week as COVID-19 infections and rates of hospitalizations have stabilized, a top health official said Thursday. Health director Barbara Ferrer said two weeks ago that the nation’s most populous county could again require face coverings if trends in hospital admissions continued under criteria …

Necessary or excessive? Debate intensifies over potential mask rule for L.A. County
2 years, 5 months ago

Necessary or excessive? Debate intensifies over potential mask rule for L.A. County

LA Times  

Visitors to the Grand Central Market are mostly masked on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 in Los Angeles. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer has said L.A. County would reimpose an indoor mask mandate if it reached the high COVID-19 community level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and remained there for two consecutive weeks. cited growing …

‘It’s sort of like we’re back to 2020’: L.A. dining scene braces for possible indoor masking return
2 years, 5 months ago

‘It’s sort of like we’re back to 2020’: L.A. dining scene braces for possible indoor masking return

LA Times  

Nicole Mitchell, a bartender and server at Cassia, in May 2021. As Los Angeles hurtles toward a possible return of a countywide indoor mask mandate, restaurateurs and bar owners are bracing for a new wave of backlash and enforcement difficulties — reminiscent of many of their industry’s hardships during the pandemic-spurred pivots and rapidly evolving dining regulations of 2020 and …

Mask in public places now a must says Maharashtra government amid rise in Covid cases
2 years, 7 months ago

Mask in public places now a must says Maharashtra government amid rise in Covid cases

India Today  

Amid a rise in Covid-19 cases, an order was issued by the state government asking citizens to wear masks in public places except open spaces. The state government expressed concern over the rising number of Covid cases to the district authorities. READ | Centre writes to 5 states to monitor situation as Covid cases rise again Talking to India Today …

Covid-19 task force recommends restoration of mask mandate
2 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19 task force recommends restoration of mask mandate

Hindustan Times  

Mumbai: Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, the state Covid-19 task force has recommended that the state government make masks mandatory mask in crowded and poorly ventilated public places. Following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour will also help in combating other airborne diseases like tuberculosis,” said Dr Kedar Toraskar, critical care specialist and member of the state Covid-19 task force. In Wockhardt …

A third of U.S. should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 7 months ago

A third of U.S. should be considering masks, officials say

LA Times  

Coronavirus infections are on the rise in the United States and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday as they urged the hardest-hit areas to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, …

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal
2 years, 8 months ago

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal

LA Times  

A passenger wears a mask aboard a Delta Air Lines flight. The appeal could set the parameters for the CDC’s authority in the next outbreak, and public health experts fear the lower court’s decision effectively closes “off future actions for a disease like this one,” said Erin Fuse Brown, director of the Center for Law, Health and Society at Georgia …

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
2 years, 8 months ago

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved

LA Times  

The CDC urges people to mask up in indoor public places where cases are rising, but few local jurisdictions are bringing back requirements. In New York City, cases are again rising and this week crossed the city’s threshold for “medium risk” due to the widening spread of the Omicron subvariant knowns as BA.2. “I don’t anticipate many places, if any, …

No masks for commuters in private cars: Delhi govt order
2 years, 8 months ago

No masks for commuters in private cars: Delhi govt order

Hindustan Times  

People travelling together in private cars are not required to wear masks, a Delhi government order issued said on Friday, even as the state it mandatory for people to wear masks in all public places, amid a marginal uptick in daily Covid-19 cases. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday decided to reintroduce the mandate, which was lifted on April …

Punjab makes face masks mandatory. Has your state also issued orders?
2 years, 8 months ago

Punjab makes face masks mandatory. Has your state also issued orders?

Hindustan Times  

Punjab has made wearing of face masks mandatory in crowded places. Passengers wearing face masks stand in a queue for Covid-19 test at Krantiveer Sangoli Rayanna railway station in Bengaluru India on Thursday reported over 2,000 new Covid cases in 24 hours - an increase of 15 per cent from yesterday. READ: Masks back in Delhi as Covid cases spike, …

EXPLAINED: What Happens in the Post-Mask World of Travel?
2 years, 8 months ago

EXPLAINED: What Happens in the Post-Mask World of Travel?

News 18  

A ruling by a US federal judge has ended — at least for now — the requirement that people wear masks on planes and public transportation, and there is plenty of confusion about the new, post-mask world of travel. In a 59-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, Florida, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and …

US Justice Department appealing order that ended travel mask rule
2 years, 8 months ago

US Justice Department appealing order that ended travel mask rule

Al Jazeera  

A US judge this week suspended a mandate requiring travellers to wear masks on planes, trains and other public transit. Anthony Coley, the department’s director of public affairs, tweeted on Wednesday that a notice of appeal was filed after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the mask mandate for travel “remains necessary to protect the public health”. …

The new mask-optional phase of the pandemic fuels fears, and some cheers
2 years, 8 months ago

The new mask-optional phase of the pandemic fuels fears, and some cheers

LA Times  

Passengers walk through Delta’s terminal at LAX a day after a federal judge ruled against the government’s mask mandate for public transportation. “It’s just premature to have had it lifted,” UCLA epidemiologist Dr. Robert Kim-Farley said of the ending of mask requirements on airlines, airports, buses and trains nationwide, which followed the order of Florida U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball …

Covid-19: No masks required on planes and trains, rules US federal judge
2 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19: No masks required on planes and trains, rules US federal judge

Hindustan Times  

The US Transportation Security Administration will stop requiring passengers on airplanes, trains and other public transportation to wear masks, after a federal judge struck down the mandate earlier Monday. “Today’s court decision means CDC’s public transportation masking order is not in effect at this time,” an administration official said in a statement. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the …

CDC to extend travel mask requirement for 2 weeks, source says
2 years, 8 months ago

CDC to extend travel mask requirement for 2 weeks, source says

LA Times  

The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transit as it monitors an uptick in coronavirus cases, according to a person familiar with the matter. Critics have seized on the fact that states have rolled back rules requiring masks in restaurants, stores and other indoor settings, and yet coronavirus cases have fallen sharply since …

Philadelphia becomes first major U.S. city to restore indoor mask mandate
2 years, 8 months ago

Philadelphia becomes first major U.S. city to restore indoor mask mandate

LA Times  

Philadelphia became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate on Monday after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections, with the city’s top health official saying she wanted to forestall a potential new wave driven by an Omicron subvariant. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has paused his push to unwind many of the city’s …

First on CNN: Biden administration set to extend travel mask mandate for another month
2 years, 10 months ago

First on CNN: Biden administration set to extend travel mask mandate for another month

CNN  

CNN — The Transportation Security Administration is set to extend the federal public transportation mask mandate for another 30 days, an administration official told CNN, pointing to guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The official’s comments came after CNN reported that federal officials began notifying stakeholders in the airline industry of the upcoming announcement. “During that …

Only 10% of Americans are still recommended to wear a mask indoors
2 years, 10 months ago

Only 10% of Americans are still recommended to wear a mask indoors

Daily Mail  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends ten percent of Americans to wear masks in indoor, public, settings because they live in an area of 'high' Covid risk, a drastic fall from last week when nearly all Americans were recommended to wear masks before the agency updated guidelines. The updated recommendations, which now value hospitalization rate and capacity …

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends
2 years, 10 months ago

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends

Associated Press  

BUFFALO, N.Y. — School districts across New York state, including many of the largest, made mask wearing optional for students and staff beginning Wednesday as a statewide mandate came to an end. “I thought it was good because I could finally breathe better.” In New York City, which has the nation’s largest school district, an indoor mask mandate is expected …

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air
2 years, 10 months ago

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air

CNN  

CNN — Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet. Dr. Mark Ghaly, state Health and Human Services Agency secretary, said he’s “pleased with how the data has come down.” Los Angeles County is aligning itself with California’s new masking guidance by no longer requiring …

Some Americans welcome new CDC mask guidance. Others are wary
2 years, 10 months ago

Some Americans welcome new CDC mask guidance. Others are wary

LA Times  

Patrons take off their masks inside Philippe’s restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. J.B. Pritzker said that the statewide school mask mandate will be lifted Monday in response to the new guidance, although Chicago Public Schools officials said they will continue to require masks “to maintain health and safety measures.” Los Angeles on Friday began allowing people who are …

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week
2 years, 10 months ago

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week

CNN  

CNN — New York will no longer require students to wear masks in schools beginning on Wednesday, Gov. Counties and cities that have a higher rate of Covid-19 transmission have the “flexibility” to keep the mask requirement in schools, Hochul said, and parents and guardians may still send their children to school in masks. “If we see no unforeseen spikes …

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC
2 years, 10 months ago

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s March 21 date to lift the statewide mask mandate remains in place for now as state officials review new guidance Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says people in most places can safely take a break from wearing facial coverings. Jay Inslee, said in an email Friday that the office has not …

CDC: Many healthy Americans can take a break from masks
2 years, 10 months ago

CDC: Many healthy Americans can take a break from masks

Associated Press  

Most Americans live in places where healthy people, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday. CDC’s previous transmission-prevention guidance to communities focused on two measures — the rate of new COVID-19 cases and the percentage of positive test results over the previous week. With many Americans already taking off …

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
2 years, 10 months ago

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The change comes as nearly all U.S. states that had put in place indoor mask-wearing mandates for the winter …

COVID-19 mask rules explained for every state and territory
2 years, 10 months ago

COVID-19 mask rules explained for every state and territory

ABC  

Masks will be coming off indoors today across much of the east coast, while a mask mandate has been extended in Western Australia. Australian Capital Territory From today, masks will no longer be mandatory in most indoor settings in the ACT, but will still be required on public transport, and in hospitals and aged-care facilities. While NSW has scrapped mask …

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country
2 years, 10 months ago

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country

NPR  

CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday it is relaxing its mask guidance for communities where hospitals aren't under high strain. Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images "As the virus continues to …

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
2 years, 10 months ago

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

LA Times  

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against coronavirus transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. In Los Angeles County, the CDC’s new guidance could affect the decision on when a local indoor public mask mandate would …

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