New CDC mask guidance depends on COVID risk level. Where does Miami stand?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released new guidelines on when people should wear a mask or not, based on their county’s COVID-19 risk level.
Here’s what it means for South Florida:
Under the new guidelines, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties have a medium COVID risk level, which means masks are optional indoors, though the CDC is still recommending people with high-risk conditions speak with their doctor on whether they should wear a mask. Masks are also still required on planes, trains and other forms of public transportation due to a federal mask mandate.
The risk level is based on three metrics the CDC is now using to determine whether a county has a low, medium or high risk of COVID-19 transmission. The three metrics are: new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, and the total number of new COVID cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.
Previously, the CDC was using cases and positivity trends to determine a county’s COVID community transmission level. Under these metrics, South Florida and the rest of the state were under the “high risk” category for COVID transmission, with the CDC recommending masks indoors.
The guidance change comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have begun to wane following a holiday spike fueled by the more contagious omicron variant, which brought record-breaking cases. At-home testing is more available, making it harder for officials to track case counts. CDC data show that 215.3 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, including 65.8% of Florida’s population. Many states and counties across the U.S. had already loosened or ended their mask mandates too.
Under the new guidelines, most of the country, about 63% of U.S counties, live in a place where the CDC is not recommending masks indoors, compared to the CDC’s previous metrics that put more than 95% of all U.S counties under an indoor masking guidance, according to the Wall Street Journal.
What does the CDC recommend for South Florida now?
For areas that are considered to be medium risk, the CDC is recommending that people considered to be high risk for severe illness speak with their healthcare provider on whether they should wear a mask. For everyone else, the CDC is leaving mask wearing up to you.
However, it does note that “people may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.”
Of course, keep in mind that some places in South Florida might still require you to mask up as businesses have their own individual mask rules. However, these rules may change in the coming days.
The Florida Department of Health also recently issued new guidance recommending, among other things, that businesses should not require employees to mask up. And Miami-Dade County on Friday, for example, announced it was ending its mask mandate in libraries and government buildings.
Masks are still required on planes, trains and other forms of public transportation due to a federal mask mandate.
What risk level is the rest of Florida in?
Only one county in Florida, Indian River, is considered to be low risk, which means masks aren’t necessary indoors, according to the new CDC guidance. Other parts of the state are considered by the CDC to be high risk, including Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough (includes Tampa), Leon (includes Tallahassee) and Orange (includes Orlando) counties.
The CDC recommends that you wear masks indoors in public if you’re in a high-risk county.
And regardless of whether you live in an area considered to have a low, medium or high risk level, the CDC is also recommending people get vaccinated and undergo testing if they begin to experience symptoms. People with symptoms, a positive test or COVID exposure should also wear a mask, regardless of where they are. And remember, masks are also still required on public transportation.
To check a county’s CDC’s COVID-19 risk level, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 6:25 PM.
