Importantly, the guidelines leave open the possibility that these metrics might need to change in the future should a new variant arise that escapes vaccine immunity. Instead of viewing masking as an on-off switch, the CDC makes the case that mitigation measures are more like a dial. Depending on changing circumstances, restrictions can be turned up or down.

Beyond the rationale for the revision, the CDC deserves recognition for its newfound clarity of messaging. I appreciated the easily understood orange, yellow and green categorizations: When concern for severe illness is very high (orange), everyone should mask; when they are low (green), everyone could unmask; in between (yellow), people can decide whether to mask depending on their medical circumstances and risk tolerance.

I especially applaud the CDC for its bold — albeit overdue — stance on masking in schools. It was poor policy for some states to drop virtually all indoor mask mandates but continue imposing them in schools, when children are at far lower risk from the virus and, unlike adults, could experience harm from prolonged masking. The CDC isn’t going so far as to say that schools should end masking, but is recommending that mask requirements in schools align with the rest of the communities they are in.