The CDC has loosened mask guidance, and Pennsylvania’s health director says the state will move to the “next stage” of life with covid.

As the federal government loosened masking guidance for the majority of healthy Americans, Pennsylvania officials said they would follow, keeping an eye on covid-related hospitalizations and cases if they began to increase again.

“Pennsylvania is moving in the right direction,” said Keara Klinepeter, Deputy Secretary of Health and Welfare. “The number of cases has been the lowest since August last year and continues to decline, hospitalizations for covid-19 are declining, and fortunately the mortality rate is declining.”

The Klinepeter briefing took place on the same day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a major change in the way residents in certain counties decide whether to mask indoors.

The CDC has long relied on the number of cases and positive rates to determine infection rates in counties across the country.

The new guidance relies on three indicators: New covid-related hospitalization last week. Percentage of beds occupied by enthusiastic patients.New covid cases per 100,000 last week According to the Associated Press.

The county will be considered either low-risk, medium-risk, or high-risk, depending on these indicators. Healthy people in counties (including school children) who are considered low or medium risk are advised not to wear masks. People in high-risk counties should continue to wear masks indoors.

The new guidance means that about 63% of US counties, where about 70% of the US population lives, are in areas considered low-risk or medium-risk, AP reported. About 28% of the population remains in counties that are considered high risk.

Most of Western Pennsylvania Considered low or medium risk. Allegheny County and Westmoreland County, along with Washington, Beaver, Butler, and Armstrong, are all considered low risk.

Cambria, Crawford, and Jefferson County are considered by CDC metrics to remain high-risk areas.

Klinepeter does not say whether she believes Pennsylvania has reached the endemic stage with respect to covid. The World Health Organization states that it continues to use “pandemics” to describe the situation in covid-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines endemic as “a constant presence of agents or health within a particular geographic area or population,” as opposed to a “affecting the world’s population” pandemic.

The average daily number of cases in Pennsylvania has dropped to about 2,500. This is a fraction of the record 30,000 cases recorded on the first day of last month.

“Despite this progress, the covid-19 will never go away,” Klinepeter said. “But Pennsylvania has the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to prioritize prevention in daily life and manage future outbreaks.”

She said the state would continue to monitor trends and outbreaks and make recommendations as needed.

It’s a move to live with the virus, showing that it won’t be a thing of the past, but rather will stay here.

“I think it’s important for people to really assess their own risks,” Klinepeter said.

“I think it’s also about maintaining these protections, even when they’re at risk,” she added. “Therefore, people with weakened immunity may choose to keep wearing a mask when going to a grocery store.”

She urged tenderness by referring to the continuous division of mask wearing.

“I don’t always know why someone is wearing a mask,” she said. “As we enter this next stage, we will continue to bless others who are making the best decisions they can make, and … adapt to what this next period will look like. I think it is important to do. “