Americans’ fears of coronavirus wane as mask guidelines loosen
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
COVID-19 cases are dropping nationwide and so are mask mandates and recommendations.
And fewer Americans are concerned about being affected by the virus, according to new polling from The Associated Press and the Center for Public Affairs Research.
Just 24% report being "extremely" or "very worried" about themselves or a family member contracting the virus. That's down from 36% in both December and January when the omicron variant was driving a peak in positive cases.
A drop in cases and hospitalizations nationwide has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ease its mask guidelines. The CDC eased mask recommendations last week for most of the country for the first time in more than two years. The new guidelines will affect 70% of Americans and will no longer recommend that a majority of Americans to wear a mask indoors.
The CDC classifies each county in the U.S. based on its level of virus transmission -- low, medium, or high. The CDC still recommends masks in the high-transmission level areas, which include Benton, Randolph and Chariton counties in Mid-Missouri. Most local counties, including Callaway, Cole and Boone, are in the medium transmission level.
Officials say the changes will not immediately affect masks on public transportation. Americans will still need a mask if they use public buses, planes or trains.
And although COVID cases in Mid-Missouri are dropping, there is one local business that's not pulling back on its mask mandate.
Joe Chevalier owner of the Yellow Dog Bookshop plans to still enforce a mask rule at his store until he sees more progress with the vaccination rates in Missouri. Chevalier also says the size of his store plays a big part in keeping its mask policy.
"If we had big windows, and we had a large area space, high ceilings, um I would feel easier", said Chevalier.
Chevalier says he is hopeful he'll be able to drop the mask mandates during the springtime.
"But where we are... I'm waiting a little bit, especially with True False coming in, and a lot of people coming from out of town. We'll at least get through that and then reevaluate
And Columbia resident, Jill Lucht a frequent customer at Yellow Dog Bookshop says she doesn't mind wearing the mask especially since it's a smaller business.
"When I'm indoors, especially in small places I have no problem at all abiding by rules that small businesses set", said Lucht.
Lucht also says wearing a mask has become a part of her daily routine, but she is grateful that mask mandates are slowly coming to an end.
"I'm happy for people who are done with the masks too that they're lifting it but I do--I'm sure people--like if a business wants you to wear a mask please just do it. The employees deserve that respect", said Lucht.
New cases and hospitalizations are also staying low nationwide now that the omicron wave has crested. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported a little more than 4,300 confirmed cases over the most recent seven-day measuring period. The 616 case-per-day average in that span is well below the thousands of daily cases reported during the omicron peak.
Hospitalizations, which reached their pandemic high during the omicron wave, have been cut roughly in half statewide since then.
Despite new CDC guidance, health experts are still encouraging people to play it safe.
“We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told the public during a White House Covid update Wednesday.
