Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Mike DeWine says Ohio's mask mandate and most other coronavirus-related state orders will end on June 2. issued a statewide mask mandate and . I did. However, we do have some clues. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Flowers, Yost and attorneys from 26 other states recently wrote in a brief that Covid "is not (for most employees) an occupational danger that OSHA may regulate and "does not present a 'grave' danger for many employees subject to the mandate.. HONG KONG For the first time in almost 1,000 days, the people of Hong Kong were legally allowed to go outside . The Wexner Center for the Arts:The venue is looking at its policy and will offer more information in the coming days. ", State law prohibits the intimidation of public officials going about their official duties, and in a statement, Henrichs called the overreach a direct threat:46. Not getting vaccinated means your family may have to experience the helpless feeling of waiting outside for news every few hours because they cant go inside to see you, Satyapriya said, reading a statement from the mans wife and parents. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In short, the mandate was unlawful because the CDC did not have the statutory authority to issue such a rule. After monitoring COVID-19 positivity rates among our patients, caregivers and communities, in addition to statewide updates and guidance, we did reduce visitation restrictions effective May 27, 2021," the clinic said in a statement. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Supreme Court has re-implemented a mask mandate for visitors, hours after health officials in Columbus and Franklin County issued a mask advisory in response to locally rising COVID-19 numbers. Nursing homes are an exception. Rescinded Public Health Orders Ohio Department of Health Governor DeWine Joint Director's Order s Share this For more information CDC Travel Information When this didnt work, he was transferred to a special unit for whats known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a critical care procedure where a machine oxygenates the blood instead of the heart and lungs. The minimum wage for tipped employees went from $4.40 to $4.65. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Ohio did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 1,718.71 new cases per day on Feb. 20 to 855.57 new cases per day on March 6, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Unfortunately, a cloth mask might only give you 20 min in close contact with an infectious individual rather than 10 minutes going maskless. Its about having respect for people, said John Lewis, a customer News 5 spoke with at the ice cream shop. The Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Jails and Detention Facilities, The Directors Order to Release Protected Health Information to Ohios First Responders, The Directors Order Requiring the Use of Facial Coverings in Child Education Settings, The Directors Order for Retail and Business Compliance for Facial Coverings through the State of Ohio, The Second Amended Directors Order on Adult Day Support Services and Vocational Habilitation Services, The Third Amended Directors Order on the Opening of Senior Centers, The Third Amended Directors Order on the Opening of Adult Day Services Centers, The Order to Require Screening for Admission to State Operated Psychiatric Hospitals or to Department of Youth Services Facilities, The Directors Order Designating The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center a Public Health Laboratory, The Directors Order to Facilities to Notify Residents, Guardians and Sponsor of Positive or Probable Cases of COVID-19, The Directors Order Requiring Reporting and Notification Regarding COVID-19 Cases in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. Ohio's capital and largest city has dropped its indoor mask mandate as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to fall. The Ohio Supreme Court building in downtown Columbus. The advisory follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidance for an area with substantial community spread of COVID-19. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio's capital and largest city has dropped its mask mandate amid a continuing fall in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. That will soon be going away in most indoor spaces. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Mike DeWine rescinded the health orders to conform to the Centers for Disease Control. HFDF is left with no option but to conclude that the Mask Mandate is really a political matter and not at all about urgent public health issues or the demands of sound science. The CDC revealed a new color-coded map with. Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet. While DoJ and CDC play politics with Americans' health and freedoms, HFDF trusts individual Americans to make their own health decisions. She added that the mandate also did not fit with a section of the law that would allow for detention of a traveler if he was, upon examination, found to infected. It applies to all of the state's Covid-19 orders such as distancing. So despite a 56% increase in the average daily case rate in the county, which officials attribute to the hyper-transmissible delta variant flooding the state with new cases, the health department says they can do little more than issue a mask advisory thats not backed by any force of law. In the short video above, you'll see what happens during the "still face" experiment when the infant does not get a response from the mother. The major attractions in Columbus have dropped their mask mandates, making them optional. If you're asked to log in with an OHID - the state's best-of-breed digital identity - your privacy, data, and personal information are protected by all federal and state digital security guidelines. April 18, 2022, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle voided the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national mask mandate on airplanes and public transit. The . 1 min read. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, overrode a veto from fellow Republican Gov. The recommendations were talking about here this morning will do that. He signed an executive order lifting . Cleveland Clinic will maintain its mask mandate. Updated: Mar 7, 2022 / 03:34 PM EST. COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates In the face of another surge in COVID-19 cases, some states are requiring certain workers to be vaccinated or comply with mask and COVID-19 testing requirements. Its not an order and its not a mandate, said Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts at a news conference. She said a healthy, 28-year-old patient of hers skipped vaccination, contracted COVID-19, and went home until his blood oxygen unexpectedly plummeted. CWRU drops mask mandate. The reason why its not an order or a mandate is because of state Senate Bill 22, which prohibits us from doing any order that would be a blanket order to the whole population.. Mar 7, 2022 - COVID COVID mask guidance in Ohio, per new CDC rules Alissa Widman Neese Data: CDC; Map: Axios Visuals Columbus City Council is likely to rescind our months-long citywide indoor mask mandate tonight. Only 15 of the states 88 counties are at a high level: a cluster in west-central Ohio and several on or near the Ohio River in the southern and eastern parts of the state. His symptoms were exceptionally mild and he has since fully recovered, press secretary Steve Irwin said. The CDC does not have the statutory authority to issue a sweeping mandate requiring masking. 08/08/20Executive-Order-2020-32D The Emergency Amendment of Rule 122:5-2-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code by the Ohio Development Services Agency. Updated: Feb 8, 2022 / 05:46 PM EST DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - As state leaders across the United States continue to seriously discuss the removal of mask mandates due to a decrease in COVID-19. . Base mask mandate lifted - Fairborn Daily Herald . Most Columbus businesses complied with mask mandate, inspection reports show, removed their mask mandates in recent weeks, Get updates on Columbus schools, Ohio State and more with new education newsletter, is keeping its mask and vaccine requirement, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. A Finnish COVID-19 specific trial published April 7, 2022, which concluded that face mask use had no impact on COVID-19 incidence among 10- to 12-year-olds. OHIO community members may wear both a face shield and an acceptable face covering, but not a face shield alone. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. March 18, 2022. That's not why they're used. We're updating this file with information on the policies in local schools, at Ohio State,on buses, in theaters, at museums and more. The court announced the mask mandate, which goes further than the advisory recommended by local health officials, on its social media accounts on Friday afternoon. Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health issued a mask advisory today urging everyone to wear a mask indoors and in crowded areas regardless of vaccine status until further notice. Employees who work at home, alone or outdoors are exempt. A few jurisdictions across Ohio have mask mandates in place including Columbus but the vast majority of Dayton-area municipalities have no such rules. However, this isnt the only instance of emerging schisms between public health guidance and policy. At the time, high-level discussions were not on the. Gov. Hes now stable and fighting for his life. According toWBNS-10TV, Worthington's mask requirement will lift Thursday. Only four people are allowed on elevators at one time, and the elevator will have markings for where to stand, according to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court website. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. I think, unfortunately, it has become political, [but] public health is not political, he said. The IDPFR's actions constitute a direct threat from the state to the well-being of my family and all board members to freely and independently exercise the duties of elected office.". Updated ODH Mask Flyers: Version 1 . This is an advisory. I dont believe weve seen the peak yet here in the United States," she said. Immunocompromised individuals and those who arent vaccinated should consider continuing to wear a mask, Ginther said. 09/24/20 -Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) and to Permit Visitation. Between January 12, 2022, and February 20, 2022, the seven-day average for COVID deaths remained more than 2,000 fatalities every day. DirectorsAmendedOrderthatReopensRestaurants,Bars,BanquetandCateringFacilitiesandServicestoDine-inService,withExceptions. "44"This would fall under the unprofessional-conduct part of the Medical Practice Act," the email added.45, An attorney for Henrichs responded, questioning whether the investigation had legal standing and suggesting it was an attempt to "coerce or intimidate a public official in the performance of his public duties. The federal Transportation Safety Administration is still requiring masks on public transportation until Friday, March 18. E Edition The immunocompromised and unvaccinated are still recommended to wear masks in crowded situations, and some areas of the region still require masks. The IDPFR has commanded me to 'toe the line' or suffer personal and professional consequences. Hundreds also experienced "accelerated respiration, tightness in chest, weakness and short-term impairment of consciousness. 'Wearing a mask cleans nothing,' she wrote. Masks are required in clinical health care settings (including at the Wexner Medical Center), COVID-19 testing locations and child care centers. Thank you to President Biden and Governor Hochul for getting us to this point. And on Tuesday, Columbus City Schools will no longer require masks in buildings or on buses. The lifting of the health order does not apply to jails, prison facilities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or adult day centers for elderly adults. Drexel Theatre: The theaterwill no longer mandate masks or proof of vaccination. During 2020 and 2021, many infants and young children were raised in an environment where they are unable to read facial cues. Many other health authorities have also violated and broken our trust, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which parents rely on for truthful information to protect the health and well-being of their children. The court is considering whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has the legal power to require that businesses with 100 or more employees ensure that those employees are vaccinated or that unvaccinated workers wear masks and show negative Covid test results at least once a week. Pending legislation would go even further, essentially banning vaccination mandates from any employer, business, school, insurer, hospital, nursing home and more. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) A retrospective study42published online in late 2020 and updated periodically through early 2021, used data from Germany's first registry showing the experience children are having wearing masks. Multiple People Rescued From Burning Indianapolis Building, Mistrial Declared in Tucson for Man Charged in Girl's Death, Wisconsin Substance Center Owes $2m in Medicaid Fraud Case. Masks in schools: Is your school district requiring masks? "We are continuing with trials and all criminal and civil procedures. by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 04/10/20ExecutiveOrder202012DEmergency Amendment of Rules, 04/07/20ExecutiveOrder2020-10DLiquor Control Commission, 04/01/20ExecutiveOrder2020-08DCommercial Evictions and Foreclosures, 03/31/20 Public Water Systems Under ORC Chapter 6109(Ohio EPA), 03/19/20 ExecutiveOrder2020-05D Telehealth, 03/17/20ExecutiveOrder2020-04DTemporary Pandemic Child Care, 03/17/20ExecutiveOrder2020-03DUnemployment, 03/14/20ExecutiveOrder2020-02DEmergency Amendment Rule, The Emergency Adoption of Rule 5160-1-18 of the Ohio Administrative Code by the Ohio Department of Medicaid and the Emergency Amendment of Rule 5122-29-31 of the Ohio Administrative Code by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Directing Expenditure of Fiscal Year 2021 TANF Funds, by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Unemployment Insurance During COVID-19 Pandemic, Directors Order Rescinding Various Orders, Second Amended Reporting Requirements for CoronavirusDisease 2019 (COVID-19) Under Ohio Revised Code 3701.14 and 3701.23, Directors Order Rescinding September 3, 2020 COVID-19 Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Reporting Order, Directors Order Rescinding Various Orders (June 18, 2021), Directors Order Rescinding Various Orders (June 2, 2021), Directors Second Amended Order for Social Distancing, Facial Coverings and Non-Congregating, Directors Amended Order for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of all Nursing Homes, Directors Amended Order for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of all Residential Care Facilities, AddendumtoDirectorsAmendedOrderforSocialDistancing,FacialCoveringsandNon-Congregating, Amended Director's Order Rescinding the Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IIDs) and Permit Visitation, Directors Amended Order for Social Distancing, Facial Coverings and Non-Congregating, Director's Order for Social Distancing, Facial Coverings, and Non-Congregating, Director's Order Rescinding Various Orders, Director's journal entry in re COVID 19 Volunteer Vaccine Providers, Directors Fourth Amended Order that All Persons Stay at Home During Specified Hours Unless Engaged in Work or Essential Activity, Directors Third Amended Order that All Persons Stay at Home During Specified Hours Unless Engaged in Work or Essential Activity, Sixth Amended Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Nursing Homes and Similar Facilities, with Exceptions, Directors Second Amended Order that All Persons Stay at Home During Specified Hours Unless Engaged in Work or Essential Activity, Directors Third Amended Order for Non-Congregate Sheltering to be utilized throughout Ohio, Directors Amended Order that All Persons Stay at Home During Specified Hours Unless Engaged in Work or Essential Activity, Revised Order to Limit and/or Prohibit Mass Gatherings in the State of Ohio, with Exceptions, Second Amended Reporting Requirements for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Under Ohio Revised Code 3701.14 and 3701.23, Amended Directors Order on the Opening of Adult Day Care Services and Senior Centers, Fifth Amended Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Nursing Homes and Similar Facilities, with Exceptions. After public backlash, the agency issued a letter of apology to Henrichs and backpedaled on their inquiry.47But this was far from an isolated case. "4And, indeed, this was the message of the court as well. Coincidentally, The Washington Post published an article February 11, 2022,28noting that mask mandates have had no discernible benefit. April 18, 2022, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle voided the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national mask mandate on airplanes and public transit. . DODD encourages providers to ensure that people with developmental disabilities and DSPs are familiar with and follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) related to social distancing and personal hygiene. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio's capital and largest city has dropped its indoor mask mandate as coronavirus cases and . OSU announced Tuesday that it would end the mandate on Friday in general-purpose buildings, residence halls, dining facilities, classrooms, offices and the Ohio Union. Some counties in Ohio starting to require mask mandates by Alexis Moberger Wednesday, June 1st 2022 Mask mandates have returned in some Ohio counties. The TSA requirement also applies to airports and airplanes. Shadowbox Live: Effective Monday, the theater will no longer require guests to wear masks. We will continue to abide by all state and local mandates and encourage all Orders rescindedLate Tuesday, DeWine announced that Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud had signed an order rescinding the following health orders, effective at midnight: The following orders, according to the governor, will remain in effect: Mask mandateWith the order now lifted, fully vaccinated individuals will no longer be required to wear a mask and will be allowed to resume most activities without social distancing. Face coverings must still be worn inside the Justice Center. Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) and to Permit Visitation. CLEVELAND On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlined new pandemic guidance that calls for a break from wearing masks. Unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to continue to wear masks, socially distance, avoid large gatherings, and participate in activities and gatherings that occur outdoors. A policy review paper published in Emerging Infectious Diseases in May 2020, which concluded, based on 10 randomized controlled trials, that there was "no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks ", A 2020 guidance memo by the World Health Organization, which pointed out that "there is no direct evidence (from studies on COVID-19 and in healthy people in the community) on the effectiveness of universal masking of healthy people in the community to prevent infection with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.". . Yet for some reason, long-standing knowledge was completely ignored and science "rewritten" in the sense that authorities simply declared that masks would work and that was it. . State lawmakers passed legislation this past spring that guts the powers of state and local public health departments to issue orders like mask mandates, but city officials believe they still maintain the power to do so.. Columbus City Council voted unanimously Mondaytorescind the city's COVID-19 mask mandate, after a city health official confirmed that the risk level to the community continued to drop over the last week. Experts associated with The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota have laid out a more complex analysis: Given the current understanding that the virus is transmitted in fine aerosol particles, it's likely an infectious dose could easily get through and around loose-fitting cloth or surgical masks , [States] with mask mandates haven't fared significantly better than the 35 states that didn't impose them during the omicron wave There's little evidence that mask mandates are the primary reason the pandemic waves eventually fall though much of the outrage over lifting mandates is based on that assumption. "The pandemic. WASHINGTON Ohio's solicitor general, Ben Flowers, participated in Supreme Court oral arguments about the Biden administration's vaccine mandates remotely on Friday after testing positive for. Lawlessness reigns at the highest levels. But if that's true, why isn't there more evidence for the benefits of masking two years into the pandemic? CHICAGO New York's governor said on Wednesday that she was ending the state's indoor masking rules. Shortly after the CDC changed its mask recommendations, Whitehall announced it would end its mask order effective Monday. The lawsuit was brought by the Health Freedom Defense Fund (HFDF), which noted that "There are legal guardrails in place to protect our basic liberties and rights even during a pandemic. As a separate branch of government, the court is run separately from the governors office and the state legislature. Reveal Truth On Vaccines with Nicholas Veniamin. The CDC had initially issued a "strong recommendation" to wear masks on planes and public transportation in October 2020,5and then turned it into an "order" at the end of January 2021.6As noted by Leslie Manookian with the HFDF: "When flight attendants announced repeatedly on each flight that compliance is required 'by federal law,' did you ever wonder: what federal law? Masks Available for OHIO Community Members Education Delivery Models and Mask Policies for School Year 2021-2022 The Department's Schools Dashboard incorporates multiple information sources to build an understanding of the Education Delivery Models and Mask Policies in use for each traditional public school district. So bring your mask and card to those venues, which includethe Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, and the Riffe Centers Davidson Theatre and three studio theaters. University Hospitals will also maintain a mask mandate. Columbus' mask mandate could be coming to an end. 2 min read. 8, 2022 at 12:37 PM PST. Click here for the full list of policies. Across the country, more. State . We are making tremendous progress thanks to their strong, science-based leadership. Shortly after the AAP took down their facial cue documents and posted their new masking recommendations for children, a retired chief of police questioned the AAP's motives and in a telling opinion piece for Law Enforcement Today,39he revealed that Pfizer is one of the AAP's largest funders. Please follow and/or like the HFDF on the following platforms, share their content, and invite your followers to do the same: You can also give the HFDF a shout-out by posting something similar to thissupporter! Ohio. It's well overdue, seeing how masks never worked to prevent the spread of infection in the first place, and can have serious, possibly permanent, ramifications. Each court has slightly different protocols ranging from allowing those vaccinated to remove their masks up to having all parties continue to wear their masks. Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate Wednesday, March 1, 2023, ending the city's last major restriction imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Directors Second Amended Order for Non-Congregate Sheltering to be utilized throughout Ohio, Directors Order on the Opening of Adult Day Care Services and Senior Centers, Directors First Amended Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Youth, Collegiate, Amateur, Club and Professional Sports, Directors Order for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of all Residential Care Facilities, Directors Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Youth, Collegiate, Amateur, Club and Professional Sports, Directors Corrected Third Order to Extend the Expiration date of Second Amended Order that Provides Guidance for Contact Sport Practices and Non-Contact Sport Competitions, and Contact Competition, with Exceptions, Directors Amended Order Limiting County Fairs to Junior Fair Activities and Animal Exhibitions, with Exceptions, Second Directors Order to Extend the Expiration date of Second Amended Order that Provides Guidance for Contact Sport Practices and Non-Contact Sport Competitions, and Contact Competition, with Exceptions, Addendum to Directors Order for Facial Coverings in Counties in Level 3 Public Health Advisory, Directors Order to Extend the Expiration date of Second Amended Order that Provides Guidance for Contact Sport Practices and Non-Contact Sport Competitions, and Contact Competition, with Exceptions, Directors Order for Facial Coverings in Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Montgomery, and Trumbull Counties in Level 3 Public Health Advisory, Directors Second Amended Order that Provides Guidance for Contact Sport Practices and Non-Contact Sport Competitions, and Contact Competition, with Exceptions, Fourth Amended Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Nursing Homes and Similar Facilities, with Exceptions, Directors Order to Extend the Expiration Date of Various Orders, Guidance for Contact Sport Practices and Non-Contact Sport Competitions, with Exceptions, Directors Order that Reopens County Fairs and Animal Exhibitions, with Exceptions. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - County Executive Armond Budish signed an Executive Order requiring masks to be worn in all Cuyahoga County government buildings . Yes. It comes as the city of Columbus is expected to drop its mask mandate by . Mike DeWine signed legislation that effective Oct. 13 forbids schools and universities from requiring a vaccine, unless it has received full authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spokeswoman for Butler County. There are still limitations on the number of visitors who can accompany a patient to the hospital. Parents, doctors and others were allowed to enter their observations. Columbus City Schools is expected to announce new masking guidelines by the end of the week. COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH) Columbus Public Health is recommending that the cities of Columbus and Worthington end their mask requirements on Monday, March 7 . So, a total of 85% of people who came down with COVID-19 had "often" or "always" worn a mask. The ruling by the US District Court ruling is a matter of law, not CDC preference or an assessment of 'current health conditions.'. Mike DeWine said he doesn't have any intention of issuing another mask mandate in Ohio, but he issued a stern warning to schools as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations set new pandemic . Nihal Manjila, Staff Writer. ', Mizelle suggested that the government's implementation of the mandate in which non-complying travelers are 'forcibly removed from their airplane seats, denied board at the bus steps, and turned away at the train station doors; was akin to 'detention and quarantine,' which are not contemplated in the section of the law in question , 'As a result, the Mask Mandate is best understood not as sanitation, but as an exercise of the CDC's power to conditionally release individuals to travel despite concerns that they may spread a communicable disease (and to detain or partially quarantine those who refuse),' she wrote. Unlike July 2020, however, this time they hit a wall. You can support the Health Freedom Defense Fund and push back against the DoJ and CDC by taking to social media. This summer, Gov. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview Friday on NBCs TODAY" show that the number of cases is rising faster than the number of hospitalizations. However, the politics are dicer. I fully support the decision to roll back mask mandates. In response, the lead plaintiff, Health Freedom Defense Fund (HFDF), issued the following statement:14, "DoJ's statement is perplexing to say the least and sounds like it comes from health policy advocates not government lawyers. Most mask mandates have ended at least for now, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health authorities, including the . Masks continue to be recommended everywhere for public transportation. a mask mandate remains in effect for now. RELATED: DeWines removal of Ohio health orders comes amid legislative pressure. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. There is zero downside to wearing a mask, said Dr. Rustin Morse, chief medical officer at Nationwide Childrens Hospital, who appeared alongside health officials Thursday. But the CDC is now using three metrics to determine its new rankings. What You Need To Know Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate Wednesday, March 1, 2023, ending the city's last major restriction imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why would DoJ and CDC not immediately appeal? Global Coronavirus Tracker: See map hereData from The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.