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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on mask-wearing to concentrate on COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and newly reported infections, leaving most of the state permitted to ditch their facial coverings.
With the state reaching a seven-day average COVID-19 infection rate back approaching 10 percent after spiking near 25 percent earlier this year, and with newly reported cases dipping across Connecticut, some areas are being permitted to begin loosening restrictions again.
The CDC offers a color-coded map - with counties designated as orange, yellow, or green — to help guide local officials and residents.
In green counties, local officials can drop any indoor masking rules. Yellow means people at high risk for severe disease should be cautious and consider masking up based on personal risk, and orange designates places where the CDC suggests masking should be universal indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
As of Friday, June 3, Connecticut had just one county in the "green" category - New London - and one in the "orange" category - Middlesex, while the rest of the state was in the "yellow" zone.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky previously cited protection from immunity rising both from vaccination and infection as reasons for altering the guidance on masks.
"Over 55 percent of the U.S. population is in an area with a medium or high community level," Walensky said. "New areas have shifted to medium and high COVID-19 community levels.
"Know your community level and precautions needed.," she added. "It is important to know what prevention steps you should take based on your COVID-19 community level."
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