The B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the UK, is spreading so rapidly in the US that data analysis suggests it will most likely account for 20 percent of new US cases as of this week. And scientists in Oregon have identified a single case of a native variant with the same spine as B.1.1.7 that has a mutation that could affect vaccine effectiveness.
Earlier this week, Texas and Mississippi, both Republican-led states, lifted mask mandates. President Biden denounced these moves as a “big mistake” reflecting “Neanderthal thinking” and said it was vital for officials to follow directions from doctors and public health executives when the coronavirus vaccination campaign begins Dynamism gains.
Other Republicans were more cautious. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he will lift all public health measures to contain the virus crisis, but only if new cases there fall below a certain threshold. In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey said she would extend the state’s mask mandate through April 9.
In Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey has adopted what is known as a “measured approach,” which prohibits local executives from taking any action that closes businesses and allows sports to be restarted in major leagues if approved by the state health department become.
Among the Democrats, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday that she would relax restrictions on businesses and allow family members who tested negative for the coronavirus to visit nursing home residents. In California, the state health department also eased some restrictions on Friday, stating that limited amusement parks could reopen as early as April 1.
In New York City, limited indoor dining has returned. And on Thursday, the Connecticut governor said the state would end capacity restrictions on restaurants, gyms and offices later this month. Masks remain required in both places.
Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has urged states not to relax their restrictions just yet. A new report from the CDC found that districts where restaurants in the US could be opened for personal meals saw an increase in daily infections weeks later. The study also said counties that issued mask mandates reported a decrease in virus cases and deaths within weeks.
