CDC to update masking guidance as soon as Friday

State of play: The CDC has developed the new benchmarks over the last six weeks or so, the source said, as Omicron hit the U.S. and then receded.

The goal is to move away from using case counts alone to determine when to mask and take other precautions, like distancing or avoiding high-risk settings.

Currently, the CDC recommends universal indoor masking in areas of substantial or high transmission, which includes the vast majority of U.S. counties.

The new benchmarks will instead tie masking recommendations to a combination of a community’s level of cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity, the source said.