Higher-Grade Masks Beginning To Be Required In Public Places Across U.S.

With experts warning that cloth masks are insufficient to protect against the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant of coronaviruses, some counties, universities and museums around the United States have begun to require higher-grade masks indoors.

A surgical mask and an N95 mask are on display at a pharmacy. Germany is taking its first steps to ease restrictions on public life that were imposed weeks ago in order to stem the spread of the coronaviruses. High schools are holding final exams, shops are reopening, and factory assembly lines are restarting. Health leaders are watching the process for any reappearance of coronaviruses. The number of infections is rising, but so far is declining. Sean Gallup poses for a picture.

The images are from the same company.

Salt Lake County in Utah, home to Salt Lake City, instituted a 30-day mask mandate last week that requires wearing N95s, KN95s or KF94s in indoor public areas, and Los Angeles County is requiring businesses to provide employees with surgical masks.

The Los Angeles County Health Department said the N95 or KN95 masks are better at blocking small particles than cloth masks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The Guggenheim Museum in New York City and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles are both requiring visitors to wear surgical face masks.

The U.S. set records for Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations on Tuesday, with more than 145,000 patients hospitalized and over one million new cases recorded. Atlanta and New Orleans have brought back indoor mask mandates, and some states have announced that they will distribute free N95 masks to residents. Preliminary studies show that the omicron variant is more transmissible than the delta variant, but it appears to have milder symptoms than previous versions.

750,996. The highest level of Covid-19 cases has been recorded by the CDC.

There is a structure called the Tangent.

The Biden Administration is considering options to make high-quality masks available to all Americans. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, suggested that the agency isn't planning to change its current mask guidelines.

N95, KN95, or cloth masks? What to wear to protect against Omicron.

The White House is considering giving out N95 masks.