**California Drops Mask Mandate**
California has become the latest state to drop its indoor mask mandate, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline. The state’s Department of Public Health announced the change on Friday, February 25, effective immediately.
The decision is in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which last week recommended that most Americans can now go without masks in indoor public settings. However, the CDC guidance allows for exceptions in areas where there is a high level of COVID-19 transmission. California is currently in the medium transmission category, so the state’s mask mandate is being lifted.
**Swedish Study Finds No Benefit to Masks for Children**
A new study from Sweden has found that wearing masks in schools does not provide any benefit in preventing the spread of COVID-19 among children. The study, which was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, followed over 1,200 children in schools where some classes were required to wear masks and others were not.
The results showed that there was no difference in the rate of COVID-19 infection between the two groups. This suggests that mask-wearing does not provide any additional protection for children against the virus.
The study’s findings are consistent with other research that has found that face masks are not effective in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses in children. A study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2020 found that face masks did not reduce the transmission of influenza in children.
**More**
* New CDC Guidance on Mask-Wearing: Most Americans Can Now Go Without Masks
* Why the Mask Mandate Is Being Lifted in California
* Study Finds No Benefit to Masks for Children in Schools
* Face Masks Not Effective in Preventing Respiratory Viruses in Children
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