CDC drops mask recommendation for most Texas South Plains counties

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced updated guidance on COVID-19 prevention and masking Friday with a new framework for measuring community transmission of the disease. The new guidance means that a substantial portion of the U.S. population will no longer be advised to wear a mask in public, indoor settings – including much of the Texas Panhandle and South Plains.

The agency said in a news briefing Friday afternoon it will be using different metrics to determine whether to recommend face coverings.

Under the new guidance, people in areas classified by the CDC as having a low or medium level of COVID-19 in the community do not need to wear a mask in public. Those in counties with high COVID-19 levels are still advised to wear a mask indoors, including in schools, the CDC said.

Officials added that people in medium-classified areas that are at high risk for severe disease can talk to their healthcare providers to determine if masking is recommended for them.

According to the CDC’s latest data, South Plains counties with a low level of COVID-19 in the community include Hale, Parmer, Castro, Cottle, Yoakum and Terry.

Counties in the medium category include Lubbock, Hockley, Hall, Bailey, Lamb, Floyd, Cochran, Crosby, Dickens, Lynn, Garza and Kent.

Lubbock-area counties classified as having high levels of COVID-19 include Swisher, Briscoe, Motley, King and Stonewall.

The agency stressed that all eligible individuals should get vaccinated and boosted and reiterated that anyone can wear a mask if they choose, regardless of community spread. They also strongly urged masking for individuals who are exhibiting COVID symptoms or have recently tested positive for the disease.

Under the old guidelines, masks were recommended for people living in communities of substantial or high transmission, which applied to roughly 95 percent of U.S. counties. The new metrics would put more than half of U.S. counties – where more than 70 percent of Americans live – in areas of low or medium risk, according to the CDC data.

Now, in addition to caseloads, the guidance also will consider hospitalizations, current beds occupied by COVID patients and hospital capacity.

While masks are a far less common sight in West Texas than they have been in the past, many choose to wear a mask in public and a number of employers and organizations still require their use. CDC officials said during a news conference Friday that even people visiting or working in higher-risk venues like grocery stores and schools do not need masks if their county falls into the low or medium transmission categories.

“We are in a stronger place today as a nation with more tools today to protect ourselves and our community from COVID-19 like vaccination, boosters, broader access to testing, availability of high-quality masks, accessibility to new treatments and improved ventilation,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during Friday’s briefing.

The latest data and recommendations can be found at cdc.gov.

Adrianna Rodriguez of USA TODAY contributed to this report.