COVID-19 Update

WaPo: (freebie)

As mask mandates end in all but one state, retailers and cruises follow suit

As coronavirus cases continue to decline across the country, all states but one — Hawaii — have dropped their mask mandates or have made plans to do so in the coming weeks. This week, Target and Apple stores joined other retailers in pulling back their own mandates.

In recent days, some cruise lines — including Norwegian and Royal Caribbean International — said they are relaxing mask requirements for vaccinated passengers after putting stricter rules in place during the omicron surge. The industry was hit hard early in the pandemic as horror stories of onboard outbreaks made international headlines.

Vaccinated people should still wear masks when indoors in an area of “substantial or high transmission,” according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Those categories still cover more than 95 percent of the country.

But with new daily cases falling, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said last week that her agency is reviewing its recommendations. “We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing, when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” she said.

Here’s what to know

• The Maryland State Board of Education voted Tuesday to rescind its statewide mask mandate and allow local school systems to set their own mask policies. Although the plan needs to be approved by state lawmakers, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has voiced his support.
• Tamara Lich, a key organizer of the self-styled “Freedom Convoy” protests against vaccination rules in Canada, was denied bail Tuesday after a judge said there was a high risk she would reoffend if released. Lich is charged with counseling to commit mischief.
• Hong Kong will mandate testing for all 7.5 million of its residents starting in March, with each person being tested three times. The city has been slammed with a surge driven by the omicron variant and faces pressure from Beijing to contain the outbreak.