Santa Monica, California-based film studio Lionsgate implemented a mask mandate for its facilities in response to some staff members testing positive for COVID-19. This mandate was later repealed, following advice from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that the mask requirement could be lifted "following days of no new infections."
Healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente enforced mask-wearing for its facility in Santa Rosa, California following a notable spike in COVID-19 cases. Upstate Medical University, under the State University of New York, also followed suit. It recently announced the return of mask mandates in two of its facilities.
Face masks are also making a return in educational institutions, the Atlanta-based Morris Brown College being one of them. It reintroduced masks as a two-week precautionary measure, reflecting the growing concern about rising infection rates.
At the national level, COVID-19 hospital admissions are reportedly on the rise in recent weeks. But data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that admission rates due to COVID-19 remain low in 97 percent of U.S. hospitals.
The alleged resurgence in cases came months after the federal government and the World Health Organization both declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency. (Related: FEAR REBOOT: “Health experts,” CDC claim COVID-19 cases are rising again.)
"The U.S. has experienced increases in COVID-19 during the last three summers, so it's not surprising to see an uptick after a long period of declining rates," claimed CDC spokesperson Kathleen Conley.
Mask issue has become highly politicized
Back in 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the White House lacked the authority to enforce a vaccine or mask mandate on companies with 100 or more employees. However, individual businesses still retained the right to establish their own policies.
The high court also ruled that the Transportation Security Administration could impose mask mandates on transportation modes. This left mask requirements as an option for the federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security.
Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), said mask mandates will become necessary on a case-by-case basis. He stressed that publicly available data should inform these decisions.
"The new approach is we want to make that information available to the public, and give people some warning that there may be some increases in disease activity," Plescia stated. "We're hoping we won't see a situation where things are as dire as they were a couple of years ago."
According to Plescia, not all workplaces need to reinstate mask mandates as of this time. However, certain settings such as nursing homes and healthcare facilities ought to maintain masking rules. This is because occupants in these areas have a higher risk of contracting severe illness.
Moreover, the ASTHO chief medical officer acknowledged the the need for preparedness and vigilance as the U.S. enters the respiratory viral season. COVID-19 shouldn't be the sole determinant of viral mitigation strategies, he said, given that the threats of the respiratory syncytial virus and the seasonal flu loom ahead.
Learn more about the COVID-19 pandemic at Pandemic.news.
Watch Dr. Stella Immanuel expounding on COVID-19 being on the rise again during her appearance on the "Flyover Conservatives" podcast below.
This video is from the Flyover Conservatives channel on Brighteon.com.
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It's really happening: Mask mandates, contact tracing re-implanted at colleges, offices.
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