CDC Loosens Guidelines for Mask-Wearing as Omicron Recedes (2)

U.S. health officials dialed back their threshold for Covid-19 masking recommendations, a signal that the federal government is shifting into a new phase of its pandemic response that prioritizes protecting hospitals and vulnerable people over broadly preventing infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday introduced a new three-tiered system for classifying local Covid-19 risks. In areas where the risks from the virus are low, officials said that most people can go without masks in indoor public places such as restaurants or shopping malls.

In medium-risk areas where the virus is having some impact on the health-care system, ...