COLUMBUS, Ohio — Franklin County Public Health announced Monday it is removing its universal mask advisory for residents, including schools, employers, and other public indoor settings throughout the community.
Following updated guidance Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the national health agency outlined a new set of measures for communities where COVID-19 is easing. The guidance has more of a focus on what's happening at hospitals and less of a focus on positive test results.
The CDC launched a color-coded map with counties designated as green, yellow and orange. Those who are in the "green" and "yellow" categories no longer need to wear a mask.
As of last week, the CDC said that Franklin County was in the “yellow” category.
FCPH strongly encourages those who may be at a higher risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as being immunocompromised or unvaccinated, to wear a mask in public.
The announcement comes on the same day as Columbus Public Health recommended Columbus and Worthington to remove their mask mandates on March 7.
Both decisions by FCPH and CPH align with the CDC’s latest guidelines. The latest guidelines state that most healthy Americans do not need to wear a mask anymore.
The Franklin County mask advisory was put in place in August 2021 due to the spike caused by the delta variant of COVID-19, followed by the omicron variant.
“The threat of COVID-19 is not over. However, the guidance provided by CDC collectively gives us a path forward as we continue to be responsive to the needs of our community,” FCPH said in a release.
To read the full statement from Franklin County public health, click here.
