DC suspends indoor mask mandate

 Washington, D.C., will lift its indoor mask mandate for most locations beginning Nov. 22, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced Tuesday.

The mandate for masks in most indoor locations, which was one of the strictest remaining in the country, has been in place since July, when the delta variant began spreading rapidly across the U.S..

Masks will still be required in schools and on public transportation, as well as in congregate housing facilities and D.C. government facilities with public-facing roles, Bowser said. Private businesses will also be free to instate their own mandates.

Bowser said vaccines are working for preventing severe disease and hospitalization, and D.C. residents will be able to assess their own risks and make their own decisions about wearing masks.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/581753-dc-lifts-indoor-mask-mandate