Technologies

Mask mandates now in 8 states, federal mask requirements extended

The COVID-19 omicron variant has prompted more indoor mask mandates. President Joe Biden has also extended the federal mask mandate through March 2022.

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.

With the omicron variant now detected in 39 states in the US, federal mask mandates have been extended until March 18 in an effort to curb the spread, President Joe Biden recently announced. The federal mandate was originally supposed to expire on Jan. 18.

The federal requirement to wear a mask over the nose and mouth applies to people riding the bus, train and airplanes The extension is driven by a concern that the country could soon be fighting two COVID-19 variants at once. The highly contagious delta variant is still circling the country, while the new omicron variant has cases rising rapidly.

Last week, a statewide mask mandate for California was reinstated for indoor public places — effective Wednesday — and will last at least a month. California joins seven other states (Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington) and Puerto Rico in requiring most people to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. Connecticut’s indoor mask mandate only applies to the unvaccinated.

The World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to recommend everyone wear a face mask in crowded areas, regardless of vaccination status. While scientists are testing the effects of omicron on existing vaccines, it’s possible for people with breakthrough infections to spread any COVID-19 variant. Although the CDC believes vaccinated people may be contagious for shorter periods of time, they can and do contribute to new cases, especially for people who are asymptomatic and may not be aware they’re infected.

Both the WHO and CDC agree that people who aren’t vaccinated should continue to wear face masks because they account for the majority of COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world. As omicron spans the globe, scientists agree that anyone eligible for a booster shot should get one (here’s how to quickly make an appointment). We continue to update this story as new information comes to light.

Here’s the latest on mask mandates and tighter restrictions

The Biden administration extended its mask mandates for those traveling by trains, buses and airplanes on Dec. 2 due to concerns around the new omicron variant. And while the US has travel bans to prevent the new variant from spreading, omicron has already made its way into at least 39 states.

Other countries have also begun tightening COVID-19 restrictions. For instance, Germany recently announced a lockdown for those who are unvaccinated. Some states in the US have also tightened restrictions, requiring proof of full vaccination to enter businesses.

Which states have mask mandates?

The following states require most people to wear masks while in an indoor public setting.

California
Hawaii
Illinois
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Washington

The territory of Puerto Rico also requires masks for everyone indoors, while Connecticut requires masks indoors only for unvaccinated people.

Why are coronavirus variants like omicron and delta serious?

A new study shows omicron is four times more transmissible than the delta variant, which was considered the most contagious of the variants identified so far, according to the WHO, but omicron tests are still underway and guidance could change. It’s too early to tell how dangerous the omicron variant is at this time, though symptoms so far appear mild. It is understood to have more mutations than the delta variant.

Both variants are spreading among both the vaccinated and unvaccinated population, though hospitalizations, serious illness and death are less likely to occur in those who are fully vaccinated. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the CDC, on Friday said nearly 80% of the confirmed omicron cases in the US are fully vaccinated, with about a third also having received a booster.

CDC guidance: Fully vaccinated should continue wearing masks in some areas

The current CDC guidance for mask wearing says that everyone age 2 years and older, vaccinated and unvaccinated, should continue wearing masks indoors when in public places, especially if in a high COVID-19 transmission area, to help prevent spreading the disease to others.

Earlier this year, the guidelines said those who are fully vaccinated can «resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing» except where required, such as in planes and businesses. But that guidance quickly changed over the summer when it was found the delta variant can cause breakthrough infections in vaccinated people.

What is the WHO’s position on mask wearing?

Wearing a mask consistently continues to be important, even for people who are vaccinated, a WHO official said during a press briefing. «People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves.»

Wearing masks in public places is essential to keep people from inhaling particles that will cause them to become sick, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an American infectious disease epidemiologist, said during the same briefing.

While the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are showing robust protection against variants, breakthrough infections can still occur.

For more information, here’s what you need to know about «long COVID» and how it’s treated. Also, read up on these COVID-19 vaccine side effects and important dos and don’ts of getting your COVID-19 vaccine.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Technologies

Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance

Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.

Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.

The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.

Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.

Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.

Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.

The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»

Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.

Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.

At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.

Technologies

OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report

OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.

‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.

The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.

Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.

This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.

Technologies

OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift

OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.

Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.

‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.

Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.

‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’

A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.

Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’

On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.

OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.

In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.

Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.

The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know