Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC

By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington’s March 21 date to lift the statewide mask mandate remains in place for now as state officials review new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says people in most places can safely take a break from wearing facial coverings. The new guidance puts more than 70% of the U.S. population in counties where the coronavirus is posing a low or medium threat to hospitals. Those are the people who can stop wearing masks, the agency said. The agency is still advising that people, including schoolchildren, wear masks where the risk of COVID-19 is high. That’s the situation in about 37% of U.S. counties, where about 28% of Americans reside.