As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise in the US, many institutions are reintroducing mask mandates. Morris Brown College, a historically Black college and university in Atlanta, will mandate all students and staff to wear masks for 14 days.
U.S. hospitals are restoring some mask requirements for workers, patients and visitors. As the nation enters fall with the start of school and cooler weather, experts do not currently anticipate a broad return to mask mandates. According to CDC data, COVID hospitalizations increased for the sixth week in a row, rising by 21.6% from 10,370 to 12,612 new admissions. Even so, this is among the fewest hospitalizations that have been noted since the pandemic started.
Mask requirements at companies and schools, according to experts, are only successful because they are not commonplace. By being around those who are at a high risk for serious problems, such as the elderly and immunocompromised, people are putting themselves in other circumstances where they could become infected. According to their personal risk tolerance, experts encourage people to think about masking, and they also advise staying up-to-date on vaccines.