At this point in the pandemic, masks are a reality of daily life for most people in the U.S. and globally. For some, they’re a source of comfort, a shield against contracting and spreading the virus, while for others they’re a symbol of government overreach. In most areas of daily life, wearing a mask is largely an individual choice barring decisions by some businesses or local governments—but in schools, masks are often required. But with COVID-19 vaccines widely available in the U.S., including for 5- to 11-year-olds, some parents and doctors are increasingly questioning whether masks in schools are actually helping children’s ability to return to normal.
In a sign of this shift in thinking, the governors of New Jersey and Delaware—both Democrats—announced plans today to end mask mandates at schools starting mid and late March respectively. Once in force, this will reduce the number of states requiring masks in schools to 14 (compared to eight states currently banning such mandates). Those numbers may continue to shrink: In Virginia, there’s an ongoing battle over Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s opt-out mask mandate executive order, while Connecticut and New York are poised to reexamine their mandates, according to the New York Times.
There are a few central arguments behind this push to end school mask mandates. In part, getting young children to wear masks properly or consistently is no small challenge. (Never mind how hard it is to find good masks that fit such tiny faces.) And concerns abound as to the impact masks are having on children’s ability to learn as well as develop strong social and emotional intelligence.
Meanwhile, the science on the success of masking in schools continues to evolve. Several studies published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show masking in schools works. But some question the significance of the findings; one study that compared COVID-19 outbreaks in Arizona schools, for example, has come under intense scrutiny for a number of reasons including failing to account for individuals’ vaccination status, varied exposure times between schools, and how a COVID-19 “outbreak” was defined by the various schools included.
Many experts and parents are also pointing to the fact that while the CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all K-12 schools, other health authorities don’t. The World Health Organization states children 5 and under “should not be required to wear masks,” and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control does not recommend masks for primary school students.
Regardless of its direct health impacts for individual kids, not masking in school does add some logistical complications. Namely, the number of people considered a “close contact” in the event of an outbreak is likely to increase—potentially further increasing the burden on parents if that then increases the frequency with which students are required to stay home.
Ultimately, for decision makers, flexibility will be key. As Dr. Jeanne Craft, president of the New Jersey chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the New York Times, a willingness to quickly adjust policies as case rates change remains important.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
More than 394 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 12 a.m. E.T. today, and 5.7 million people have died. On Feb. 6, there were more than 1.6 million new cases and 4,735 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending, in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here's every country that has reported over 5 million cases:
The U.S. had recorded more than 76.5 million coronavirus cases as of 12 a.m. E.T. today. More than 902,000 people have died. On Feb. 6, there were 47,298 new cases and 358 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of Feb. 7, 12 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The number of U.S. coronavirus deaths has surpassed 900,000. As the New York Times reports, “the latest 100,000 deaths—many from the Omicron variant—have been reported in just over seven weeks.” Most of these deaths have been unvaccinated people, according to federal data.
COVID-19 is starting to impact the Olympics. So far, 353 positive cases have been reported at the Games since Jan. 23. Team USA figure skater Vincent Zhou is among the latest Olympic athletes to announce a positive COVID-19 test, and is withdrawing from the men’s figure skating competition. And for those who do test positive, complaints are rising about the condition of China’s quarantine hotels—a lot of them about the food.
Wastewater data—a powerful way to monitor for signs of SARS-CoV-2—is now available on the CDC’s COVID-19 Data Tracker, my colleague Alice Park reports. As she writes, “anywhere from 40% to 80% of people infected with COVID-19 shed viral genetic material in their feces.” These data have been valuable for researchers trying to trace potential outbreaks because wastewater samples can show signs of the virus days before testing results can, largely because people don’t get tested until they start experiencing symptoms.Meanwhile, over the weekend, the city of Ottawa declared a state of emergency as anti-vaccination protests consisting of hundreds of trucks occupying the downtown area near Canada’s parliament intensified. And as Politico reports, the protest is now “becoming viral online as a rallying cry for leading U.S. Republican politicians, far-right influencers and white supremacist groups”—including former President Donald Trump. A group of American truckers opposing vaccine mandates is now calling for a similar occupation in Washington, D.C.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Kyla Mandel and edited by Elijah Wolfson.
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