Texas governor bans mask mandates by state’s public schools and local governments
3 years, 7 months ago

Texas governor bans mask mandates by state’s public schools and local governments

CNN  

CNN — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday prohibiting state governmental entities such as counties, public school districts, public health authorities and government officials from requiring mask wearing. The executive order allows public schools to continue current mask-wearing guidelines through June 4; however, after June 4, no student, teacher, parent or staff member can be required to wear a mask on school grounds, according to the order. “We are not mandating it, but I strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their family, and their co-workers.” Abbott has come out against local Texas officials enforcing mask mandates before. And in June 2020, Abbott announced that the state was moving into its Phase III – meaning that “all businesses in Texas will be able to operate at up to 50% capacity, with very limited exceptions.” On June 12, even as cases in the state were rising, Abbott insisted that there was “no real need to ratchet back the opening of businesses in the state … “because we have so many hospital beds available to anybody who gets ill.” Texas will also end early the $300 weekly federal boost to state unemployment payments, as well as two other pandemic jobless benefits programs, Abbott announced Monday – joining at least 19 other GOP-led states in dropping the federal expanded benefits over the past two weeks.

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History of this topic

Suburban New York county bans wearing of masks to hide identity
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Suburban New York county bans wearing of masks to hide identity

Associated Press  

MINEOLA, N.Y. — Lawmakers in a suburban New York county have approved a bill to ban masks in public places with exemptions for people who cover their faces for health reasons or religious or cultural purposes. Supporters said the bill approved Monday by the Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature on Long Island would prevent violent protesters from hiding their identity. “Masks …

Gov. Hochul considering a face mask ban on New York City subways, citing antisemitic acts
6 months, 1 week 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” …

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge to Iowa Gov. The ruling marks the conclusion of the yearslong court battle, originating in the fall of 2021 with a lawsuit alleging that Reynolds violated federal disability law by preventing schools from adopting mask mandates as an accommodation for students with disabilities. Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU …

There’s no sign of widespread COVID-19 mandates in the US. Republicans are warning of them anyway
1 year, 3 months ago

There’s no sign of widespread COVID-19 mandates in the US. Republicans are warning of them anyway

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. “No COVID-19 public health restrictions or mask requirements are being considered by the Murphy administration,” said Christi Peace, spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked during a news conference Wednesday about whether she would consider mask or vaccine mandates: “We are in a place where we’re seeing low …

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.
1 year, 3 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 …

Los Angeles County avoids new mask rule as COVID stabilizes
2 years, 4 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 …

A new L.A. mask mandate would have less value at this stage of the pandemic, some experts say
2 years, 4 months ago

A new L.A. mask mandate would have less value at this stage of the pandemic, some experts say

LA Times  

As successive waves of COVID-19 have swept across the Southland, Michael Matteo Rossi, a 35 year-old filmmaker who lives in Los Feliz, has gamely masked up whenever he shopped, ate out or visited with his parents, who are in their 70s. Barbara Ferrer, director of L.A. County Department of Health, announced plans to reinstate an indoor mask mandate if the …

Necessary or excessive? Debate intensifies over potential mask rule for L.A. County
2 years, 4 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 …

Arizona governor OK’s ban on school COVID-19 vaccines
2 years, 7 months ago

Arizona governor OK’s ban on school COVID-19 vaccines

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Arizona’s Republican governor has signed legislation that will prevent state health officials from ever adding a COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required school inoculations and bar face mask mandates in any buildings operated by state or local governments. One would bar schools from requiring students to don masks unless their parents gave their explicit OK and another …

2 more bills targeting COVID rules head to Ducey’s desk
2 years, 7 months ago

2 more bills targeting COVID rules head to Ducey’s desk

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Two more bills restricting responses to the coronavirus pandemic are heading to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk, including one that would impact the ability of future state leaders to respond to another airborne-spreading disease and a second blocking the state from ever requiring schoolchildren to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Senators also approved a bill barring the state Health …

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal
2 years, 7 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, 7 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, …

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
2 years, 7 months ago

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — An increase in COVID-19 infections around the U.S. has sent more cities into new high-risk categories that are supposed to trigger indoor mask wearing, but much of the country is stopping short of bringing back restrictions amid deep pandemic fatigue. In New York City, cases are again rising and this week crossed the city’s threshold for “medium …

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 …

L.A. County keeps mask mandate at airports, on public transit, despite federal changes
2 years, 8 months ago

L.A. County keeps mask mandate at airports, on public transit, despite federal changes

LA Times  

Despite recent changes at the federal level, Los Angeles County is continuing to require travelers to mask up when aboard public transit or in indoor transportation hubs such as airports. L.A. County’s mask order covers commuter trains, subways, buses, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts; as well as indoor transportation hubs, including bus terminals, subway stations, seaports and other indoor port terminals, …

Pilots announce mask mandate has been dropped mid-flight in US, angering passengers
2 years, 8 months ago

Pilots announce mask mandate has been dropped mid-flight in US, angering passengers

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Plane passengers in the US are reporting that some pilots announced the country’s federal mask mandate …

Florida judge voids US mask mandate for planes, other travel
2 years, 8 months ago

Florida judge voids US mask mandate for planes, other travel

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit Monday, and airlines and airports swiftly began repealing their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. “So thank you and happy unmasking day!” New York City’s public transit system planned to keep its mask requirement in place. The White House said …

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 …

Florida judge voids U.S. mask mandate for planes, other travel
2 years, 8 months ago

Florida judge voids U.S. mask mandate for planes, other travel

LA Times  

A federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House said the court ruling means that for now the mask order “is not in effect at this time.” The ruling appeared to free operators …

Florida, other states challenge CDC transit mask rule
2 years, 8 months ago

Florida, other states challenge CDC transit mask rule

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Twenty-one states with Republican attorneys general sued Tuesday to halt the federal government’s requirement that people wear masks on planes, trains, ferries and other public transportation amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody and filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida, contends that the mask mandate exceeds the authority of the U.S. …

Georgia push on COVID rules aims at vaccines, school masks
2 years, 8 months ago

Georgia push on COVID rules aims at vaccines, school masks

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia public school students are now free of mask mandates for five years, while a one-year ban on letting governments and schools require vaccines against COVID-19 neared Gov. The Republican Kemp on Tuesday signed Senate Bill 514, which would let parents opt their children out of school mask mandates for the next five years. “The Unmask Georgia Students …

Florida, other states challenge CDC transit mask rule
2 years, 8 months ago

Florida, other states challenge CDC transit mask rule

LA Times  

Masked passengers fill a Southwest Airlines flight from Burbank to Las Vegas. Florida and 20 other states have sued to end the federal government’s mask mandate for public transportation. Florida and 20 other states sued Tuesday to halt the federal government’s requirement that people wear masks on planes, trains, ferries and other public transportation amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gen. Ashley …

US extends mask rule for travel while weighing new approach
2 years, 9 months ago

US extends mask rule for travel while weighing new approach

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Federal officials are extending the requirement for masks on planes and public transportation for one more month — through mid-April — while taking steps that could lead to lifting the rule. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week that her agency must study the science around virus transmission “but also the epidemiology and the frequency that we …

First on CNN: Biden administration set to extend travel mask mandate for another month
2 years, 9 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 …

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends
2 years, 9 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, 9 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 …

Capitol ditches mask requirement ahead of State of the Union
2 years, 9 months ago

Capitol ditches mask requirement ahead of State of the Union

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Face coverings are now optional for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday, as Congress is lifting its mask requirement on the House floor after federal regulators eased guidelines last week in a rethinking of the nation’s strategy to adapt to living with a more manageable COVID-19. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced initial guidelines earlier this …

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week
2 years, 9 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 …

CDC: Many healthy Americans can take a break from masks
2 years, 9 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 …

Florida’s new coronavirus guidance: ‘Buck the CDC’
2 years, 9 months ago

Florida’s new coronavirus guidance: ‘Buck the CDC’

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Thursday announced new coronavirus policy recommendations that discourage mask-wearing and push physicians to use off-label medications to treat the virus. “We are empowering health care practitioners to follow science, not Fauci’s status quo.” The announcement came a day before President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to …

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
2 years, 9 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, 9 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 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 …

Mandatory mask rules to be eased in Victoria ahead of weekend
2 years, 10 months ago

Mandatory mask rules to be eased in Victoria ahead of weekend

ABC  

The Victorian government has announced people will be able to remove their masks in most indoor settings this weekend. Key points: Masks will only be required in some settings including public transport, hospitals and primary schools from midnight Friday The recommendation for people to work or study from home is being removed The health minister has extended the deadline for …

Washington state to lift indoor mask mandate March 21
2 years, 10 months ago

Washington state to lift indoor mask mandate March 21

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s statewide indoor mask mandate, one of the few left in the country, will lift in most places on March 21, including at schools and child care facilities, Gov. Inslee said that the late March date to lift the mask mandate is based on hospital admission projections. “And when we make decisions, it seems to me we …

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, signs bill allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, signs bill allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates

CNN  

CNN — Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill Wednesday that allows parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates. Youngkin had campaigned on rolling back Virginia’s Covid-19 restrictions and giving parents more agency in their children’s education, but the order he signed on his first day in office was met with lawsuits from Virginia school districts …

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance
2 years, 10 months ago

Federal health officials say they will soon update COVID-19 masking guidance

LA Times  

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, shown testifying before Congress in November, told reporters on Wednesday that her agency would soon issue new guidance on mask-wearing. Federal health officials said Wednesday that they will soon update their guidance on mask wearing, even as several states have recently dialed back mandates requiring people to wear face coverings while indoors. In a White …

California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate
2 years, 10 months ago

California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate

Associated Press  

Gavin Newsom delayed a closely watched decision on lifting California’s school mask mandate Monday, even as other Democratic governors around the country have dropped them in recent weeks. But the teachers’ stance was made clear minutes after Ghaly finished speaking, when the powerful California Teachers Association issued a statement praising the “cautious approach to masking.” “We know that masking, strong …

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends
2 years, 10 months ago

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends

CNN  

CNN — Just one day before California is set to relax a statewide mask mandate for vaccinated people in indoor public spaces, the state’s top health official announced that masks will still be required in schools. There will be no change to the school requirement, Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced at a press conference Monday. …

From New York to Nevada, how US is bidding farewell to COVID-19 restrictions
2 years, 10 months ago

From New York to Nevada, how US is bidding farewell to COVID-19 restrictions

Firstpost  

Seeing a drop in coronavirus infections and hospitalisations, several states, including Nevada, New York and Illinois have ended mask mandates for indoor settings Coronavirus restrictions are slowly being phased out of the United States of America. With the Omicron wave of COVID-19 subsiding, several US states, including Nevada, New York and Illinois have ended mask mandates this week for indoor …

COVID conflict: Democratic governors skip ahead of Biden and CDC on easing mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

COVID conflict: Democratic governors skip ahead of Biden and CDC on easing mask mandates

LA Times  

Kathy Hochul listens as President Biden speaks during a meeting with the National Governors Assn. “Governors are picking up on a sense that voters simply won’t tolerate mask mandates any longer,” said Julia Lynch, a political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. The administration continues to recommend indoor masking in areas of high transmission, which, according to White House Press …

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US
2 years, 10 months ago

Here’s why mask mandates are falling across the US

Associated Press  

As the omicron wave of the coronavirus subsides, several U.S. states including Nevada, New York and Illinois ended mask mandates this week for indoor settings, while others lifted requirements at schools. Steve Sisolak said the requirement for masks in public places would be lifted “effective immediately.” State casino regulators quickly followed with an order eliminating the mandate for casinos “unless …

Maryland governor calls to end school mask requirement
2 years, 10 months ago

Maryland governor calls to end school mask requirement

Associated Press  

Larry Hogan called on the State Board of Education on Thursday to stop requiring face coverings in schools. “A growing number of medical professionals, parents, and bipartisan state officials throughout the nation are calling for an end to school mask requirements,” the Republican governor wrote in a letter to Clarence Crawford, the board’s president. “If these trends are not reversed …

As states drop school mask mandates, health experts clash on whether it's too soon
2 years, 10 months ago

As states drop school mask mandates, health experts clash on whether it's too soon

Salon  

As U.S. omicron case numbers drop from their January peak, some states with in-person instruction have started to drop their mask mandates for schools. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Davis, agreed that it's too early for schools to lift their mask mandates. Blumberg noted that …

As state mask rules end, school leaders are in the middle
2 years, 10 months ago

As state mask rules end, school leaders are in the middle

Associated Press  

As some of the last statewide mask mandates in the U.S. near an end, decisions about whether students and teachers should continue to wear masks in school are shifting to local leaders, who are caught in the middle of one of the most combustible issues of the pandemic. If the decision had to be made right away, he said, his …

US state mask mandates to expire, creating tensions for schools
2 years, 10 months ago

US state mask mandates to expire, creating tensions for schools

Al Jazeera  

School board meeting have devolved into shouting matches and arrests over whether masks should be worn. “We can’t allow those individual passions to decide the debate.” The issue of masks in schools has been so contentious in much of the country that school board meetings have devolved into shouting matches and arrests, superintendents have seen protesters outside their homes, and …

When is it really safe to take off your mask in California? Here’s what we know
2 years, 10 months ago

When is it really safe to take off your mask in California? Here’s what we know

LA Times  

When is it really safe to take off your mask? Pan’s comments are in line with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which suggests that vaccinated people still wear a mask in indoor public settings when local transmission levels are “high” or “substantial,” the worst two categories in the CDC’s four-level tier system, colored red and …

California will lift mask mandate as omicron cases fall
2 years, 10 months ago

California will lift mask mandate as omicron cases fall

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will end its indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people next week but masks still are the rule for schoolchildren, state health officials announced Monday amid rapidly falling coronavirus cases. Local governments can continue their own indoor masking requirements and last week Los Angeles County’s health officials said they intend to keep theirs in place beyond the …

Governors in 4 states plan for end to school mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

Governors in 4 states plan for end to school mask mandates

Associated Press  

TRENTON, N.J. — The governors of four states announced plans Monday to lift statewide mask requirements in schools by the end of February or March, citing the rapid easing of COVID-19′s omicron surge. Phil Murphy called the move “a huge step back to normalcy for our kids” and said individual school districts will be free to continue requiring masks after …

Analysis: Democratic governors outpace White House with masking pullbacks
2 years, 10 months ago

Analysis: Democratic governors outpace White House with masking pullbacks

CNN  

CNN — A rush of moves by Democratic states laying out timelines to lift mask mandates is leaving a cautious White House behind and hiking pressure on top government health officials to codify an Omicron endgame. On Monday alone, three Democratic governors – in New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut – and the public health department in Oregon set timelines to …

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