CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

By ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter. That will mean most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into account hospitalizations and local hospital capacity. Under the new guidelines, the vast majority of Americans will no longer live in areas where indoor masking in public is recommended based on current data.