CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission — roughly 95% of U.S. counties, according to the latest data.

The new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into account hospitalizations and local hospital capacity, which have been markedly improved during the emergence of the omicron variant. That strain is highly transmissible, but indications are that it is less severe than earlier strains, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted. Under the new guidelines, the vast majority of Americans will no longer live in areas where indoor masking in public is recommended, based on current data.

The new policy comes as the Biden administration moves to shift its focus to preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, rather than all instances of infection, as part of a strategy adjustment for a new "phase" in the response as the virus becomes endemic.

More at: https://www.wyff4.com/article/cdc-pandemic-mask-guidelines-february-2022/39214787#

>>15714871

TYB

A National Vaccine Pass Has Quietly Rolled Out – And Red States Are Getting On Board

Even as the omicron variant loosens its grip on the world, destinations continue to require travelers to show proof of vaccination. And, increasingly, a paper CDC vaccination card is not cutting it.

While the United States government has not issued a federal digital vaccine pass, a national standard has nevertheless emerged. To date, 21 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico offer accessibility to the SMART Health Card, a verifiable digital proof of vaccination developed through the Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI), a global coalition of public and private stakeholders including Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle, the Mayo Clinic and other health and tech heavyweights.

And very soon, at least four more states will be rolling out access to SMART Health Cards. “We've seen a notable uptick in states that have officially launched public portals where individuals can get verifiable vaccination credentials in the form of SMART Health Cards with a QR code,” says Brian Anderson, co-founder of the VCI and chief digital health physician at MITRE.

Half of US states either already offer accessibility to SMART Health Cards or have it in the works. DATAWRAPPER

There is already an impressively widespread availability of SMART Health Cards in the U.S. More than 200 million Americans can now download, print or store their vaccination records as a QR code. When the QR code is pulled up, only the individual’s name, date of birth and vaccination information is visible. No other medical information or personal data is shared. This code is also digitally signed to ensure that the card was issued from a verified location and to prevent forgery.

More at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/02/24/national-vaccine-quietly-rolled-out/?sh=687641b56be6

White House press secretary Jen Psaki could reportedly replace Rachel Maddow on MSNBC

The Biden administration’s sharp-elbowed White House press secretary Jen Psaki has emerged as a top candidate for Rachel Maddow’s anchor chair, according to a new report.

Psaki, who has plans to leave the White House this year, is being courted by several news networks, including CNN and MSNBC, according to newsletter Puck.

A source told The Post that UTA super agent and co-president Jay Sures shopped the idea of Psaki as a potential cable news primetime host all over town, drumming up interest, before he signed her.

His timing couldn’t be better as TV networks are looking to shake up their lineups. And perhaps more urgently for CNN and MSNBC, both networks are in need of new blood for their primetime shows.

MSNBC lost its star anchor, Maddow, who has stepped away from her 9 p.m. ET show in order to pursue other projects.

And CNN is on the hunt for somebody to anchor its 9 p.m. show after Chris Cuomo was fired late last year, after sexual misconduct allegations came to light, as well as revelations that he secretly aided the defense of his embattled older brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

More at: https://nypost.com/2022/02/23/white-house-press-secretary-jen-psaki-may-replace-rachel-maddow-on-msnbc-report/

>>15715067

I agree. They may still try though.

>>15715164

She'll fit right in!

>>15715242

>>15715023

>>15715468

Yep.