Mask mandates return as COVID-19 cases rise across U.S.

[Celerity]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mask-mandate-ba2-omicron-covid-19-cases-rise/

Columbia University is again requiring its students to mask up in classrooms, with public health experts urging caution as COVID-19 case numbers climb across the U.S.

The university's head of COVID-19 protocols over the weekend announced the change, citing increased infections in the local area. The disease's resurgence in New York City after cases had fallen sharply earlier this year was punctuated on Sunday when Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for the virus.

The virus is also flaring elsewhere around the U.S. More than two dozen states across the country reported a jump in cases over the last eight days, although hospitalizations and deaths have not seen a commensurate rise. Nearly 1 million Americans have died of COVID-19, with an average of 500 people succumbing to the disease every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Philadelphia revives mask mandate as COVID-19 cases surge

As of Monday, Columbia is requiring that students wear non-cloth masks in classrooms, according to a student-run news site. The mask mandate, which will remain in place through the remainder of the spring semester, applies to all students, but not to professors, for whom masks are optional.

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[liberal_mama]

1. In my county in New York State, positivity rate is up to 16.5% today. Not good.

So far no mask mandate, but our County Executive has always been pretty good during the pandemic. He put an indoor mask mandate in place when Omicron started spreading 3 weeks before Kathy Hochul did a state wide one.

[Timewas]

2. Surprise

Not

[Hugin]

3. A few weeks after Spring Break.

A couple of months after Europe.

Right on schedule.

Hospitalization and deaths always lag cases by around a month.

[Initech]

5. Well this sucks.