The percentage of Americans who say they always wear a mask in public has dropped to just 23%, its lowest level since April 2020, according to tracking data from the University of Washington in Seattle. Notably, vaccinated Americans are more than twice as likely (70%) as unvaccinated Americans (32%) to report wearing a mask in public places regularly, per data from the Pew Research Center.
At the same time, testing has also significantly dropped off, so getting a handle on a true number of daily infections has become more difficult for officials. According to the University of Washington’s latest estimate, the true number of daily infections is likely to be nine times higher that what is being reported. That enormous gap amounts to roughly 282,531 Covid cases going unreported just today.
Also factored into the mix is that, from coast to coast, most cities and states have eliminated indoor mask mandates, leaving the decision on whether or not to wear a mask up to individuals.
In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser allowed vaccination and indoor masking mandates to expire at the end of February, and the city health department stopped reporting daily Covid case numbers in March. Within weeks, outbreaks in the nation’s capital resulted in some very high-profile Covid-positive cases among Cabinet secretaries and Congress members along with Mayor Muriel Bowser herself. And last week, two prominent universities in the D.C. area — Georgetown and Johns Hopkins — reinstated mandatory masking and testing requirements due to a rise in positive cases among students.
A surge of new infections in New York City has also impacted Broadway theater, where mask and vaccine policies will remain in effect through at least April 30. Some performances of “Plaza Suite” and “Macbeth” were canceled after cast members tested positive for Covid-19.
Rising Covid infections led Philadelphia officials to reinstate its mask mandate today. Just five weeks ago, the City of Brotherly Love dropped its indoor mask requirement.
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