MASKS

Japan has dropped its three-year-long masking request in one of its last steps in easing COVID rules in public places. However, nothing has changed as residents continue to wear them.

Japan on Monday dropped its request for people to wear masks after three years, but hardly anything changed in the country that has had an extremely high regard for their effectiveness at anti-virus protection. During a televised budget committee meeting at parliament, some lawmakers still wore masks, though Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wasn't wearing one when he arrived at his office Monday. Dropping the mask-wearing request is one of the last steps Japan's government is taking in easing COVID-19 rules in public places as it tries to expand business and other activity.

An Iranian official says Iran and Russia have taken a key step toward linking their banking systems in a move that further boosts their cooperation in the face of Western sanctions

A letter written by an enslaved person in Virginia 300 years ago seeking freedom is part of a new exhibition exploring the Church of England’s historic links to slavery

Photographs from every continent except Antarctica show birds nesting or tangled in rubbish.

Pick up some N95 masks from 3M, Kimberly-Clark, Honeywell and more. Plus, we found great KN95 masks for kids.

Pick up some fresh N95 masks from Amazon and Honeywell.

Health officials continue to recommend that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate.

Boston has urged people to start wearing masks, and the Biden administration is weighing its next legal step in a court fight over the abrupt end of the national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit.

On Monday, a federal judge halted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s extended mask mandate.

Across Virginia, the number of people living in areas where the CDC would recommend masking indoors continues to decrease.

N95 face masks are getting more affordable. Here's where to get the real deal, plus how to get free N95s.

Across Virginia, 62 of the 133 cities and counties changed levels.

COVINGTON — Beginning Monday, March 7, wearing masks by students on buses and other vehicles operated by Covington City Public Schools will be optional. This change in guidelines aligns with updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Friday, Feb. 25, the CDC announced it’s no longer necessary for people to wear masks on buses or […]

Americans who have been clamoring for an end to mask-wearing have welcomed new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the last two weeks, the U.S. infection rate has dropped 64%.

Virginia's General Assembly moved swiftly Wednesday to put the final legislative touches on a bill that bans local school systems from imposing mask mandates on students.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is scheduled to sign the bill that would end school mask mandates across Virginia on March 1.

Vaccinated guests will be required to wear masks on Disney transportation, but they won't have to wear them on rides or in other indoor locations.

School mask mandates in Virginia would end on March 1 if the General Assembly adopts amendments made by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to just-passed legislation on the issue.

Monday night, Franklin County School Board made the decision to change their masking policy.

The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that would end mask mandates in schools across Virginia.

Authorities say a man who wanted to join the protests in Canada's capital over mask mandates called in a bomb threat but called the wrong Ottawa.

In short, the case was thrown out because the parents asked for the wrong types of remedies.

A bipartisan majority in the Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to advance legislation that would ban public school systems from imposing mask requirements on students.

The Supreme Court of Virginia has dismissed a challenge to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates.

The Supreme Court of Virginia has dismissed a challenge to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates.

A judge found Friday that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order on masks cannot override school district policy, according to NBC Washington.

Having trouble finding an N95 mask? You can now solve that problem and get groceries at the same time.

Governor Glenn Younkin’s executive order to lift the mask mandate in schools went into effect on Monday, leaving the decision on whether students wear a mask up to the parents.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked the Supreme Court of Virginia to dismiss a lawsuit challenging his executive order allowing parents to opt out of mandates requiring children to wear masks in school.

They’ll vote on whether to abide by Youngkin’s executive order or leave the mandate in place for one more week.

Vanderbilt's Dr. Peter Rebeiro tells Newsy how to extend the practical life of your masks in the face of Omicron.

Vanderbilt's Dr. Peter Rebeiro tells Newsy how to extend the practical life of your masks in the face of Omicron.

Virginia's new Republican governor was facing pushback from Democratic lawmakers, school districts and a group of parents who sued him Tuesday over an executive order that aims to create an opt-out for classroom mask mandates.

The CDC updated its website to say N95 and KN95 masks offer higher levels of protection than cloth masks, although it stopped short of recommending them for everyone.

With new COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates shattering pandemic records, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering updating its mask guidance

Universal Orlando is reinstating its mask requirements beginning Christmas Eve as COVID-19 cases are surging as a result of the omicron variant

Wearing two face masks during the pandemic may be an effective way to protect yourself against the virus.

Students say the new Omicron variant is making them extra-cautious as they go home for Christmas.

Intensive care beds are full, patients wait outside and vaccination rates are among Europe's lowest.

Research says surgical masks and KN95s are more effective than homemade cloth masks. Here's what experts say about the differences, and when to wear each.

A 37-year-old man working as a security guard in an Apple store in New York City was stabbed multiple times following a dispute over wearing a mask inside the store to comply with Covid-19 safety policies, police said.

It’s long past time for an upgrade.

There are now some new requirements when it comes to masks in Franklin County schools.

Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection cited seven businesses between last Thursday and Sunday for failing to follow the city’s indoor mask mandate, according to a Tuesday news release.

The start of the school year was previously moved to October 1.

The U.S. is doubling the fine for people who break the rule requiring masks on planes, trains and other forms of public transit to slow the spread of COVID-19, with President Joe Biden warning Thursday that violators should “be prepared to pay.”

After more than a year of attending church virtually, Monique Allen has struggled to explain to her asthmatic daughter why people from their congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don’t wear masks. Church leaders recently issued their strongest statement yet urging people to “limit the spread” by getting COVID-19 vaccines and wearing masks, but Allen said she fears it’s still not enough to convince the many families in her congregation who refuse to wear masks and have succumbed to anti-vaccine misinformation. Members of the faith widely known as the Mormon church remain deeply divided on vaccines and mask-wearing despite consistent guidance from church leaders as the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus spreads.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) on Tuesday announced a new statewide outdoor mask mandate requiring people to wear masks in most outdoor settings regardless of vaccination status.State of play: Starting Friday, Oregonians will be required to wear masks outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. While the mandate does not apply to outdoor gatherings in private residences, masks are "strongly recommended" when people from different households cannot remain socially distanced. Get market news wo

Three weeks into the school year, thousands of students and staff across the Atlanta metro have had to quarantine after being exposed to COVID, according to one estimate.

Three weeks into the school year, thousands of students and staff across the Atlanta metro have had to quarantine after being exposed to COVID, according to one estimate.

The family argues masks make it safer for their immunocompromised daughter to attend school.

The family argues masks make it safer for their immunocompromised daughter to attend school.

Craig County schools took the necessary steps to align with Governor Ralph Northam’s K-12 masking policy.

On Thursday night, hours after Virginia issued a universal mask mandate for all schools, one school board voted to not follow suit.

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's administration issued a universal mask mandate for K-12 schools Thursday.

Monday night, the Franklin County School Board voted to require masks for the upcoming school year, despite a vote last month, making masking a “parent choice.”

During Governor Ralph Northam’s 32-minute news conference Thursday, not once did he use the phrase ‘mask mandate’ while addressing the policy for grades K through 12 -- even when asked about it multiple times. That has many wondering if it was a political move ahead of November’s election.

Days before classes start, the Roanoke County School Board will now require masks for everyone this fall - vaccinated or not.

With the fall semester around the corner for Virginia college students, you can add Roanoke College to the list of schools requiring masks.

You can add Danville to the list of Virginia school districts that will require masks this fall, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced new coronavirus guidance for the Commonwealth as cases begin to increase.

As coronavirus cases rise across the Commonwealth, many parents are now wondering how to keep their children safe.

Leaders say they could revisit the policy in the near future, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases in the Hill City.

Democrats are overwhelmingly buying into new and strict COVID mandates out of Washington, with two-in-three endorsing vaccines and mandatory masks — even for the vaccinated.

An update in CDC mask guidelines has many families asking will my child be required to wear a mask while at school?

At this time, it doesn’t look like a mask requirement is returning to Virginia.

A Florida school board voted Wednesday to require all students and faculty to wear masks inside schools for the fall semester, a policy at odds with Gov. Ron DeSantis's stance against making face covers compulsory.

Masks had started to disappear from store shelves but they may be front and center again.

For a few glorious weeks, Wall Street employees who were vaccinated against Covid-19 could ditch their masks at the office. That's ending.

Should students be required to wear masks this fall? In Radford, the answer to that question won’t be decided by school leaders.

Apple gained a reputation during the Covid-19 pandemic for making evidence-based decisions about where and when it was safe to operate its retail stores.

The BMA doctors' union says it is "scandalous" staff working in the pandemic were put at risk.

Reversing earlier guidance, the agency will likely encourage indoor masking for fully vaccinated people under certain circumstances.

N95 masks may be especially important for people who are unvaccinated or othwerise vulnerable to severe covid-19 disease.

The governor’s mandate requiring masks for students and staff in K-8 schools will worsen staff shortages. (Letters to the Editor)

Friends want to repay reader’s kindnesses, but their dinner invitation raises concerns.

New guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics said everyone older than 2 years of age should wear masks at school this fall, whether they’re vaccinated against COVID-19 or not.

Masks will no longer be legally required in taxis, on buses or trains when coronavirus restrictions are eased in England next week.

The flight cancellation meant smaller vacations for some passengers

When the unvaccinated see people in public without masks, they will surely stop wearing theirs. This puts the public's health at risk.

Public health experts are discussing the potential benefits of wearing masks even after the coronavirus pandemic has ended. What are the benefits and drawbacks?

The new guidance is for day camps and overnight camps.

Diners are mostly free to speak their mind at a Northern California cafe, but doing so through the protective confines of a mask will cost a cover charge of $5.

Kids at summer camps can skip wearing masks outdoors, with some exceptions.

Government officials are asking people at cyclone shelters to wear double masks and practice social distancing.

GOP lawmakers want the rules on masks on Capitol Hill to be changed, despite uncertainty regarding their vaccine status.

After more than a year of working out at home, people are ready to head back to the gym as mask requirements are lifted in parts of the U.S.

Nation's largest supermarket chain says those immunized against COVID-19 will no longer have to cover their faces.

Walmart, Costco, and Starbucks among retailers not requiring shoppers to wear masks where permitted by local laws.

The CDC has said fully vaccinated people generally don't need to wear masks. But if you're planning to fly, you still have to mask up.

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Chicago area and the rest of Illinois.

The evolving science of masks How can you tell if the mask you’re wearing is protective enough against the coronavirus? Correspondent David Pogue volunteers as a test subject to see how N95s work and learns about the science of face coverings.

Here's what experts have to say about Biden's vaccine timeline

Health authorities have changed their guidance on who should wear masks and when to wear them. Here's a look at how what we know about masks has changed, and how government officials are increasingly getting behind the idea of mandating the use of masks. But when BOTH people are wearing masks, that produced the best result. For example, study participants who were supposed to wear masks sometimes didn’t. The president also held rallies that brought together thousands of supporters, most of them not wearing masks.

Still, creating 700 face masks seems to transcend just “the basics,” wouldn’t you say? Moore’s personal project started in April, when Gleaners Community Food Bank asked for help from the community in making face masks for the group’s volunteers, and Moore decided she would lend a hand. Now she estimates she’s made hundreds of face masks for anyone who needs one. She uses some basic patterns and others that are a little more fun, and said she’s working on 50 Halloween-themed masks at the moment. When COVID-19 started, Moore was laid off for three months, so she had some extra time on her hands.

This time last year, we were beginning to talk about what kinds of fun costumes and masks we might wear for Halloween. Nowadays, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, masks are an every day, everywhere kind of thing. In an effort to fight the spread of the coronavirus, masks have been mandated for wear in plenty of places, so perhaps your mask has become second nature. That not only makes it a little more fun for those wearing the masks, but for us who are out people-watching (and unable to actually see people’s faces). And perhaps you just might give some others some fun ideas to work with.

MADRID – Masks will be mandatory for all students in Spain, ages 6 or older, when returning to schools in September because of increased coronavirus cases, the government announced Thursday. Previously, masks were only required for students above age 12 by some Spanish regions. Students will receive a daily body temperature check, must wash hands at least five times per day and classrooms will need frequent ventilation, the government said. That allows localized quarantines if there’s a positive test, rather than closing entire schools. Parents and teachers have expressed concern, with new waves of outbreaks since the country emerged from a strict lockdown.