When the state of Hawaii announced plans to lift the mandatory indoor mask on the 8th, all 50 states in the United States have either eliminated or decided to abolish the mandatory mask rule.
Hawaii Governor David Igei said at a news briefing today that the mandatory wearing of masks will no longer take effect, the New York Times reported.
Hawaii is the last U.S. state to lift the mask mandate requirement.
“We have reduced the number of coronavirus infections (COVID-19) to a level where most people can be safely indoors without a mask,” Governor Igai said.
However, masks must still be worn indoors. The Hawaii State Department of Education lifted the mandatory wearing of masks outside schools on the same day but excluded them indoors.
Hawaii state health officials have also decided to repeal the compulsory requirement but recommend wearing a mask when indoors with crowds or with people with compromised immune systems.
It was also recommended to wear a mask in medical facilities/hospitals, schools and prisons.
In the United States, there is a movement to return to normal life before the pandemic (global pandemic of infectious diseases) after the spread of COVID-19 caused by omicron mutation has slowed significantly.
However, the use of masks in schools differs from region to region.
New York, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Dallas have either lifted or decided to lift the mandatory school mask, but are still in effect in Los Angeles (LA), Washington DC, Boston and Seattle.