
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends universal masking in healthcare settings, unless the facilities are in areas of high COVID-19 transmission.
The agency’s quietly issued edict last Friday reversed nearly two and a half of years of guidance in recommending universal masking in healthcare settings.
“Updates were made to reflect the high levels of vaccine-and infection-induced immunity and the availability of effective treatments and prevention tools,” the CDC’s new guidance says.
“Facilities can now ‘choose not to require’ that patients, doctors and visitors wear masks at all times if transmission of the virus is low,” the New York Post reports.