Mask mandates are falling prematurely. We can still keep people safe. | Washington Post

CEID Faculty Dr. Syra Madad co-authored an opinion in the Washington Post and weighs in on mask mandates:

“A growing number of states that had adopted strict mitigation measures during the omicron surge have announced plans to lift indoor mask mandates, including in schools. Citing declining case counts and hospitalizations, governors in California, New York, New Jersey and elsewhere say they intend to leave the question of whether to require face coverings up to local governments.

While many of us in the public health community think it’s premature for this, with hospitals still stretched and deaths hovering around 2,500 a day, it’s clear many Americans are ready to move on. In a country as diverse as the United States, where approaches to covid-19 have differed dramatically based on geography and political affiliation, there’s merit to leaving it up to local officials to decide what’s best for their communities. Now is the time to take a nuanced approach and lean on the other tools at our disposal to slow the spread of the coronavirus — even without masks…”

Read the full piece here