face masks

Demonstrators calling on people to wear masks gather outside school district headquarters in Marietta, Ga., last week. A recent review at pandemic data finds requiring masks, capping the size of gatherings and instituting certain bar, gym and restaurant r

Even Moderate COVID Restrictions Can Slow The Spread Of The Virus — If They're Timely

1:04pm August 17, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Mask mandates and other interventions can help stop a surge, even where vaccination rates are low, say scientists who've reviewed states' data. When the measures start and how long they last matters.

Kindergartner Allyson Zavala joined with other students and school superintendent Austin Buetner for a class selfie in April inside teacher Alicia Pizzi's classroom at Maurice Sendak Elementary School in North Hollywood, Calif.

How To Keep Your Child Safe From The Delta Variant

8:46am August 10, 2021

by Pien Huang

Some public health experts are also parents of little kids, and have to strategize to keep those too young to be vaccinated safe from getting or spreading the delta variant. Here are their tips.

Map of levels of coronavirus transmission by county

Do You Need To Wear A Mask Indoors Where You Live? Check This Map

8:52pm July 28, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The CDC wants vaccinated people to wear masks indoors if the coronavirus is spreading widely where they live. Find out the level of virus transmission in your county.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't budged on its guidance that vaccinated people can skip mask-wearing, but some local governments faced with surging cases are going back to mandates, such as Los Angeles County, which recently mandated

Public Health Experts Call On CDC To Change Its Mask Guidance

4:02pm July 22, 2021

by Pien Huang

The agency argues that vaccinated people are safe without masks. But the guidance leaves room for plenty of unvaccinated people to mingle dangerously, and many argue that this is fueling case surges.

People walk near the Chicago Theatre on Tuesday in the city's Loop community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines on the wearing of masks, saying fully vaccinated Americans don't need to cover their faces anymore in most se

The CDC Is Gambling On Relaxed Mask Rules To Get More People Vaccinated

4:02pm May 20, 2021

by Yuki Noguchi

Fully vaccinated people got the green light last week to resume much of their lives without masks. Behavioral experts say that as an incentive to get more people vaccinated, it's far from a sure bet.

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Nicole McGrew, wearing a mask by the designer N'omose Couture, says she'll require customers to mask up in her store for a short time longer.

Health & Safety

As Mask Mandates Disappear, Business Owners Make And Enforce Their Own Rules

9:59am May 18, 2021

by Andrea Hsu

The CDC's new guidance that it's safe for fully vaccinated people to go without masks, even indoors, has led to a confusing situation for businesses, which now have to decide what to do on their own.

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TSA Extends Mask Mandate Aboard Flights Through Summer As Travel Increases

4:13pm May 01, 2021

by Elena Moore

Even as COVID-19 cases decrease and more Americans get vaccinated, the Transportation Security Administration is keeping strict regulations on wearing masks when traveling domestically.

Students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance as they return to in-person learning at St. Anthony Catholic High School in California on March 24. Masks and physical distancing are proving to have some major public health benefits, keeping people from gettin

Health & Safety

Should Masking Last Beyond The Pandemic? Flu And Colds Are Down, Spurring A Debate

2:38pm March 30, 2021

by Blake Farmer

Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and physical distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check, but will these behaviors last?

A CVS pharmacist gives the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a resident at the Emerald Court senior living community in Anaheim, Calif., in January. Federal health officials have revised advice on nursing home visitations for the first time since Septem

Indoor Visits With Nursing Home Residents OK, New CDC Guidance Says

8:22am March 11, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services now recommends that visitors and residents, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, be allowed to meet in person under most circumstances.

At work every day, Agnes Boisvert attends to ICU patients "gasping for air" and dying from COVID-19. But communicating that harsh reality to her skeptical community has been a challenge.

COMIC: How One COVID-19 Nurse Navigates Anti-Mask Sentiment

9:11am March 06, 2021

At work every day, Agnes Boisvert attends to ICU patients "gasping for air" and dying from COVID-19. But communicating that harsh reality to her skeptical community has been a challenge.