Headline Roundup • September 1st, 2023
As COVID-19 Cases Rise, Experts Advise Some to Mask Up Again
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A moderate rise in COVID-19 cases has some experts advising a return to facemasks in certain situations.
Rising Cases: Cases including two new variants — EG.5 and BA.2.86 — spurred over 15,000 hospitalizations in the week ending on August 19, up 18.8% from the previous week but still far below pandemic highs. Citing high levels of immunity, Dr. Anthony Fauci told BBC News (Center bias) that he “very seriously” doubted “whether you're going to see the hospital and death surge that we've seen in the past, even if we get a surge of infections.” However, some doctors are reportedly concerned about a “trifecta” of COVID-19, R.S.V., and the flu.
Should You Mask Up? Health experts cited by CNBC (Center bias) recommended masking for infected people and said others should consider personal risk levels and regional infection rates when deciding whether to wear a mask.
Some Mask Requirements Return: A college in Atlanta, a movie studio headquarters in Los Angeles, and hospital systems in New York, Massachusetts, and California have reinstated some mask requirements.
How the Media Covered It: While some sources on the left and center appeared accepting of experts’ advice and nonjudgmental of reinstated mask requirements, coverage from the right focused primarily on the return of mask mandates, emphasizing criticism from Republicans.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Francine Orr | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
An uptick in Covid cases and hospitalizations in the U.S., and the emergence of new variants of the virus, are prompting questions about whether Americans should start masking up again.
One thing’s for sure: People infected with Covid should wear masks around others to prevent the spread of the virus.
For those not infected, the decision to mask depends on a few things. That includes your personal risk level, Covid rates in your region and who you might make contact with, public health experts said.
First and foremost, people at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid should consider wearing...
Maskot/Getty Images
As families prepare to gather for Labor Day and children head back to schools, coronavirus cases are once again on the rise.
Covid-19 hospital admissions are up more than 18% in the most recent week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some experts are encouraging a return to masking, especially for older adults and individuals most vulnerable to severe disease.
With concerns that Covid-19 could spread as people gather, this has led to many questions about disease prevention: What virus prevention measures should those planning Labor Day events...
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Amid growing fears that Americans could face more COVID-19 lockdowns or mandates, Republican candidates vying for the 2024 presidential nomination say they are firmly against such restrictive measures.
“No mask mandates,” candidate Vivek Ramaswamy told The Daily Signal on Thursday. “No vaccine mandates. No lockdown ever again.”
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas reminded The Daily Signal of how he handled the pandemic within his own state: “No, I would not,” he said, asked if he would support more lockdowns or mask mandates. “During the last pandemic, as governor, we had no shelter-in-place orders or...
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