However, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study (2022) found that consistently wearing a N95 or KN95 mask in indoor public settings reduced the odds of getting COVID-19 by 83 percent. At least four states New Jersey, Oregon, Connecticut and Delaware plan to lift its statewide mask mandates for schools within the next month. "Certainly, cases are increasing and we don't want to see that. / CBS Baltimore. 2023 The Associated Press. He kept a partial mask mandate in place until July, and reinstituted a face coverings requirement Monday for inside state buildings and offices. Here are the latest mask orders from central Maryland: Anne Arundel County lifted its mask mandate in government buildings Feb. 22 and in other indoor We are strongly encouraged by the progress weve seen in recent days and remain cautiously optimistic that we will continue to emerge from this omicron wave, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewskisaid in a news release. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. The bottom line: About 70 percent of Americans will be able to shed their masks while indoors. Asian markets gain as Hong Kong lifts mask mandate, One of the world's last cities with a mask mandate plans to drop it, Hong Kong lifts mandatory masking from March 1. She said the city is monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's transmission designation to determine whether to re-institute a local mask order. officials: SNAP helped thousands during pandemic, but challenges navigating system remain, COVID-19 vaccine may become annual, like flu shot, Lierman transition team recommendations: improve customer service, boost minority business participation, Key component to Moores minimum wage proposal faces legislative hurdles, High costs of three-year delay complicate efforts to move forward on Pimlico, Laurel Park redevelopment. He said we dont have the means to enforce a statewide mask mandate, and that people who choose not to wear masks wont change their minds under threat of a government requirement. Most of these curbs were rolled back at the end of last year. The call to end mask mandates in schools comes after the decline of the coronavirus omicron variant. In Howard County where officials say COVID-19 cases are down about 90 percent from the peak, County Executive Calvin Ball says it's now safe tolift the indoor mask mandate. They didn't accept it the first time," Saltzman said. Less than 10.38% of fully vaccinated Maryland residents later tested positive for COVID-19. Designed by, INVERSORES! The Department of Justice is appealing the decision. ", Baltimore City is the exception. Hogan, a Republican, made his request on Thursday in a letter to Clarence Crawford, president of the Maryland State Board of Education. Harford and Carroll Counties have already dropped the mandates. People stand in line for over two hours to get a COVID test at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air on Tuesday. I think it was a thoughtful series of regulations that were put forward, and the General Assembly approved those [regulations] and I suspect they will remain in place until we see something else from the board, Ferguson said. Maryland's COVID-19 cases, positivity rate and hospitalizations have all more than doubled in the past month, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) called on the Maryland State Board of Education to rescind school masking mandates on Thursday. Even though now the government says you dont have to have a mask from tomorrow, Ive still got masks at home, and am still a bit worried about the pandemic situation, so probably I will continue to wear them for a little while, Harrison Yau said. Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties in Maryland are lifting their mask mandates in the wake of improving COVID-19 metrics. The Baltimore County Council will hold a vote to consider continuation of the Countys state of emergency beyond Monday, January 3, 2022 at the Council meeting scheduled for Monday, January 3. City Schools will continue to evaluate our masking requirement if conditions change in our community and make changes if Hes going to punt to us and when it goes wrong, hell blame us. They didn't accept it the first time," Glenn Saltzman said Wednesday. Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you. Hospitalizations are also down by 60 percent in the county. Our emergency departments cant be so overwhelmed that patients with emergent issues have to wait in line.. Kelly (D), who served more than 12, If youve been thinking the pace of the 2023 General Assembly session is slower than some years, youre not wrong. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. While we are hoping for the best, we are actively preparing for the worst, said Hogan, adding that the latest projections show state COVID hospitalizations could reach more than 5,000, well above Tuesdays pandemic high of just over 3,000. "I don't see the public accepting a mandate. Anna Gawel | agawel@wtop.com. HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate on Wednesday, ending the citys last major restriction imposed. Here are the latest mask orders from central Maryland: Anne Arundel County lifted its mask mandate in government buildings Feb. 22 and in other indoor spaces as of Feb. 1. Baltimore Sun reporters Meredith Cohn and Emily Opilo contributed to this article. That is down from the peak around Jan. 11, when the state had 3,400 coronavirus patients in its hospitals. This week, parents who don't want their kids to wear masks in schools could get an update from the Maryland State Board of Education, which meets on Tuesday. Hong Kong is dropping its mask mandate making it one of the last international cities to stop requiring face coverings after the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. Nonprofit. Nonpartisan. Maryland, like the rest of the U.S., was hit hard by the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has sent case counts, hospitalizations and deaths surging. Based on the latest guidance from the federal health officials, the use of masks and face coverings will be optional for all persons in Baltimore City Public Schools campuses beginning Monday, March 14, 2022. The COVID-19 positivity rate the percentage of COVID tests coming back positive has dropped to about 3%, which is down 87% from a peak last month. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend wearing masks on public transportation. In addition to a mask mandate, Hogan should require state employees to be fully vaccinated, said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency medicine physician and former Baltimore health commissioner. At Princeton she was a producer for WPRB 103.3 FM News & Culture section, the stations only long form podcast-type program. Moving forward, our approach will advise enhanced prevention efforts in communities with a high volume of severe illness and will also focus on protecting our health care systems from being overwhelmed, she tweeted. Tim Swift and Margaret Chadbourn 3/1/2022. We have to be thinking about this in lieu of the governor, Scott said. Elizabeth Shwe covered California state politics during her internship at The Sacramento Bee. Previous to hiscurrent role,he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore) said that she trusts the State Department of Education and local school systems to make decisions based on public health data to keep students and staff safe. Baltimore County's indoor face mask order will expire Tuesday and it will not be extended, county officials told 11 News. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. But early on in the pandemic, the governor issued a mask mandate for public transit, indoor businesses, stores, pharmacies and other retail establishments. "I'll probably be wearing my mask here and there, but I want to make sure that people have the choice and I still encourage people when they want to, they should wear their mask," says Ball. The Maryland State Board of Education is watching with optimism as Covid-19 metrics improve in the State because our goal has been and continues to be to provide safe in person instruction for our children and staff with minimal disruptions, she wrote in an email. Updated: 11:27 PM EST February 21, 2022. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. Nominees work for the natural gas industry drew complaints from environmentalists and key lawmakers. For now, mask requirements will remain inside all Baltimore County government offices and facilities, including all county library locations. Prince Georges Countys indoor mask mandate will remain in effect through March 9. All rights reserved. voted to approve the State Board of Educations emergency regulation last month. The board has vowed to make a decision about masks in schools based on the metrics that health officials deem acceptable with regards to removing school mask mandates. A Maryland legislative committee approved the state board of educations decision to Here are the latest mask orders from central Maryland: Federal mandates still require people to wear face coverings in certain situations. Balls decision came in consultation with local health and business leaders. In response, the school board said it was watching with optimism as Covid-19 metrics improve in the State, and pointed to previously adopted offramps to masking requirements, which include lifting the requirement based on high vaccination rates in school systems and their surrounding counties, or based on moderate or low transmission of the virus. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. 5425 Wisconsin Ave However, over the past few weeks, the numbers have been falling sharply. Masking is the least restrictive intervention we can employ to slow down transmission before our hospitals are completely overwhelmed. On Monday, the federal mask mandate for public transportation was overturned by a federal judge. The states 7-day positivity rate is 5.12% with 986 people hospitalized due to the coronavirus. She is a 2020 graduate of Princeton University with a degree in political science. Hogans letter also comes after Republican members of the House of Delegates urged State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury and the State Board of Education earlier this week to immediately rescind the mask mandate in public schools. MARYLAND The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened federal COVID-19 mask guidance Friday as infection rates return to pre-omicron variant levels around the country. Above all, he said, patients who are seeking COVID-19 testing should make use of state and local clinics, not hospitals. Regardless of the decision that the board of education makes, some parents say they will continue to send their kids to school with a mask. 5425 Wisconsin Ave Harford County votes to end mask mandate, effective March 1. News you can trust. Leaders in Maryland have been lifting mask mandates in recent weeks by jurisdiction as infections decline. Some criticised the rule's duration and its sudden scrapping - amid wider criticism of the city's pandemic policies for the past three years. Baltimore officials said that since Jan. 3, the countys positivity rate has decreased by nearly 80%, while COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen by nearly 50% since Jan. 11. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday that the citys indoor mask mandate will expire Feb. 28. Gov. In Baltimore City, face coverings will be required inside until Tuesday, March 1. In a bid to woo foreign visitors, the Hong Kong government has announced plans to give away half a million air tickets - beginning on Wednesday. Some Marylanders are optimistic but cautious. If Hogan wont touch mandates, local executives and jurisdiction leaders can step in, Wen said, by implementing vaccination requirements to enter businesses, attend concerts and athletic events, eat in restaurants and work out in gyms. Over the weekend, Frederick County officials dropped their mask Illinois judge hears arguments in lawsuit claiming due process violations in enforcement of school mask mandate | Illinois | thecentersquare.com We should all support and encourage efforts that protect those at high risk," Walensky said in a statement. Lee said he made the decision because the city did not see a rebound in infections and has built an immunity barrier. When asked at the press conference if he plans to issue an executive order making mask-wearing optional in public schools an action taken by Gov. He said patients experiencing heart attack and stroke symptoms should continue to go to hospital emergency departments, while people with less urgent needs, such as minor illnesses or injuries, should seek care elsewhere. The CDC previously gauged the spread of the virus by new coronavirus cases and the COVID-19 positivity rate. Both orders were in effect since December 27 of last year. Hogans decision to not require masks statewide is a political calculation that assesses what damage a mandate could have on his standing with constituents, as well as what the public will reasonably tolerate, said Dr. Chris Beyrer, an epidemiologist and the Desmond M. Tutu professor of public health and human rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, watching with optimism as Covid-19 metrics improve in the State, lifted the statewide indoor mask mandate in May 2021, reintroduced a measure specifically for state buildings in early January, remains on track to lift its indoor mask mandate Feb. 21, Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Latest vaccination numbers in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Zombie drug challenging response to Maryland opioid crisis, Lawmakers pledge action amid reports TikTok is fueling increase in stolen cars, Maryland Gov. ET. Copyright ", First published on February 21, 2022 / 10:50 PM. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. For our health care heroes, it takes a toll.. Looking for more information? The change does not apply to masks in schools, though Hogan has called on the State Board of Education to rescind its mask policy and is encouraging parents to weigh in on the matter ahead of the boards next meeting on Feb. 22. 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