RICHMOND, Va. -- Wearing face masks while inside government buildings in Chesterfield and Henrico is now optional. The City of Richmond's mask mandate for government buildings comes to an end on Tuesday, March 1.
The changes to the masking policies were made after the Centers for Disease Control last week announced it was easing its indoor mask guidance for the public and in schools.
The U.S. has seen a dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases since the omicron variant peaked in January.
The CDC said there's been a 43% drop in cases in the seven-day average when compared to the prior week.
“While we are relaxing the mask mandate, we still must be vigilant and follow protocols based on science and heed the advice of our leading public health officials from the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health,” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in a statement.
Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chairman Chris Winslow shared a similar message to county employees who are no longer required to wear masks at work.
'Chesterfield County remains committed to protecting the safety and health of our employees and citizens by following the guidance of public health experts,” Winslow said in a statement. “The virus that causes COVID-19 is still present in our community, but at levels not seen since early last fall. Data also indicates that the Omicron variant is resulting in less severe illness and far fewer hospitalizations, particularly in individuals who are fully vaccinated and have received a booster. All of this is encouraging news.”
Pandemic fears are fading along with omicron: AP-NORC poll
Fewer Americans now say they’re concerned they’ll be infected compared with January following the rise and fall of the wildly contagious coronavirus variant. That's according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Just 24% report being “extremely” or “very” worried about themselves or a family member contracting COVID-19.
That's down from 36% in both December and January, when omicron caused a massive spike in infections and taxed public health systems.
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