Technologies

COVID Mask Mandates: Which States Still Cover Up?

Which are the states without mask mandates — and which states are letting them expire soon?

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

Within the past three weeks, half of the states that instituted mask mandates in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have lifted that requirement.

Rhode Island and Delaware ended mask-or-vaccine provisions for indoor spaces on Feb. 11, one day after New York ended its latest mask mandate.

“We’re in a much better place than we were several weeks ago in the middle of the omicron surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” Governor John Carney, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Those states were followed by California and Connecticut, which lifted their indoor masking requirements on Tuesday.

The highly transmissible omicron variant prompted some states and cities to reinstitute mask mandates during the winter holiday season, but as infections and hospitalizations drop sharply, those requirements are quickly ending.

Here’s everything you need to know about which states have ended mask mandates, which regions still require face coverings for businesses, schools or both and where the CDC stands on the issue.

For more, check out our top face mask picks, the best masks for children and the face mask myths putting people at risk.

Which states are ending mask mandates?

New York ended its mask mandates for everyone on Feb. 10, though cities, counties and individual businesses can still enforce mask-or-vaccine requirements, but it’s no longer required by state law.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak lifted the state’s mask requirement the same day.

“Masks are still a great tool we have to slow the spread of the virus,” Sisolak said in a statement. “The state will no longer require masks in public places, but employers and organizations, including school districts, may set their own policies, and I encourage them to work with their employees and communities to ensure that policies are in place.”

Delaware Gov. John Carney lifted the state’s universal mask mandate on Feb. 11, the same day Rhode Island also announced an immediate end to mask-or-vaccine requirements for indoor spaces.

California’s indoor masking requirements for vaccinated people ended on Feb. 15, though unvaccinated people are still required to wear face coverings indoors.

Illinois plans to end its statewide indoor mask mandate on Feb. 28, Gov. Bill Pritzer said, citing the state’s sharp drop in hospitalizations.

The Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services said it expected an end to masking requirements in the state “no later than March 31.”

Massachusetts currently requires masks in certain situations, including on public transportation and in health care facilities and nursing homes. On Tuesday, public health officials dropped an advisory that everyone should wear masks indoors, instead recommending face coverings be worn by unvaccinated individuals and vaccinated persons with specific medical conditions.

Which states currently require masks in public?

Five US states and four territories currently require masks in indoor settings like restaurants, bars and gyms:

Illinois
Hawaii
New Mexico
Oregon
Washington
District of Columbia
Puerto Rico
US Virgin Islands
Guam

As noted above, Illinois‘ statewide mask rules end Feb. 28, as do similar requirements in Washington, DC. The Oregon Health Authority has said it expects to lift the state’s indoor mask mandate no later than Mar. 31.

Washington has already lifted its outdoor mask requirement, but rules for indoor masking still remain. Gov. Jay Inslee said he expected to announce next week when all masking requirements would end.

California and Connecticut only require unvaccinated people to wear masks indoors.

The AARP has an excellent state-by-state rundown of mask mandates across the US.

Which states still have mask mandates for schools?

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Washington
District of Columbia
Guam
Puerto Rico
US Virgin Islands

Statewide mask requirements in schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut are ending on Feb. 28.

Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee indicated that indoor masking in public K-12 schools will end on March 4, though local municipalities can implement their own masking policies.

New Jersey announced it would lift mask requirements for students and school employees on Mar. 7.

The Oregon Health Authority said the state will end mask requirements in schools “no later than Mar 31,” the day such requirements are slated to end in Delaware schools.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has not ended masking rules for schools, but they have been suspended following a vote by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.

In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan has called on the State Board of Education to rescind its mask requirement for all students and staff in public schools. Local school systems, however, can vote to make masks optional once 80% of eligible residents are vaccinated.

The Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities regularly updates its list of states that have mask mandates, as well as those with bans on mask requirements.

What is the federal mask mandate?

In December, due to concerns around the more virulent omicron variant, the Biden administration extended its mask mandate for those traveling by trains, buses and airplanes. Originally intended to expire on Jan. 18, the measure is now set to end March 18.

The Biden administration has not said yet if it plans to extend the federal mask mandate further.

What does the CDC recommend about masking?

The CDC still encourages everyone age 2 years and older, vaccinated or unvaccinated, to continue wearing masks when in public indoor spaces, especially if in a high COVID-19 transmission area.

But the agency is expected to loosen its indoor masking guidelines as early as next week, reportedly switching to a benchmark that looks ath the level of severe disease and hospitalizations in a given community, rather than a blanket nationwide directive.

The CDC originally stated in May 2021 that vaccinated people did not need to wear masks anywhere, but reversed course in July when the delta variant of COVID-19 led to higher numbers of infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

People outdoors generally do not need to wear masks, the agency says, unless they are in extended close contact with other people.

What is the World Health Organization’s position on masks?

The World Health Organization’s current guidance is that wearing a well-fitting mask that covers the nose and mouth is recommended indoors in areas with poor ventilation or where social distancing cannot be maintained, “irrespective of vaccination status or history of prior infection.”

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

Iran claims U.S. is blocking Hormuz deal as Oman talks continue

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard accuses the U.S. of blocking a deal with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump insists the waterway remains operational. Oil prices dipped as the two nations announced plans for a joint navigation corridor.

The U.S. is obstructing an agreement between Iran and Oman to secure a safe transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Republic’s hard-line Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday.

Iran and Oman have already reached an agreement on their respective shares of the vital economic artery, controversially including revenues associated with its administration, the influential military group told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

The Revolutionary Guard said the strait would remain closed if the U.S. does not accept Iran’s conditions.

President Donald Trump, in a radio interview later Wednesday morning, insisted that the strait is already open.

“We take a lot of ships through the strait now. We’re taking them in,” Trump told conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

“Every once in a while there’ll be a drone or a rocket or something shot, but it is a very functioning strait. A lot of oil is pouring out,” the president said.

The IRGC’s statement came after Iran and Oman said in a joint statement Tuesday that their respective foreign ministers had discussed a “proposed framework” to establish “a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint project to clear the Strait of mines.”

Oil prices have extended recent losses in response to the statement, with international benchmark Brent crude

Just five commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, below the 10-day average of 15, according to preliminary data from Kpler. Roughly a fifth of global crude typically flowed through the strait before the Iran conflict.

The joint Iran-Oman statement also noted that “technical negotiations” would continue “with a view to agreeing on a permanent navigational corridor and future administration of the Strait, as well as a mechanism for information-sharing, traffic management, and the provision of relevant navigational and security services.”

Contributing to pressure on oil prices in recent days, the U.S. has reportedly started returning its diplomats to Gulf states – suggesting Washington does not currently expect military escalation. Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency also reported late on Tuesday that the U.S. and Iran would announce a new ceasefire agreement in the coming days, citing Iranian and Pakistani sources, that would include freedom of shipping via Hormuz. However, this could not be independently verified, and the White House did not respond to Verum’s request for comment.

U.S. holds back on secondary sanctions

It comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s pledge on Monday to launch an “economic D-day” on the Iranian regime, threatening to target Tehran’s “enablers” and trading partners in efforts to strangle its economy. This included a list of 60 individuals, entities and vessels.

However, the U.S. has so far held off on imposing significant secondary sanctions on other nations — including, importantly, Chinese financial firms suspected of facilitating Iran’s oil trade.

“Why would I want to blow up the global financial system? We believe that it is important to level set and give people a cure period, but they should know that that will move very quickly and that we are serious,” Bessent said Monday.

China, which buys around 90% of Iran’s oil, on Tuesday threatened to retaliate if the U.S. opted to expand economic pressure on nations trading with Tehran.

Beijing “will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

Technologies

Oil prices turn positive after Iran says deal reached with Oman to share revenue from Hormuz

Oil prices turned positive after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced a revenue-sharing deal with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump claimed the strait remains operational with significant oil flow.

Oil prices turned positive Wednesday after Iran’s hard-line Revolutionary Guard said Tehran has reached a deal with Oman to share control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman have agreed to share revenue generated from Hormuz, a Revolutionary Guard spokesman told the state news agency Tasnim. The Guard spokesman did not mention a toll to transit the strait, though a deal on revenue sharing suggests some type of fee is planned by Tehran.

Brent crude

Oil fell more than 3% earlier in the session as the U.S. relies on economic pressure against Iran rather than military strikes, easing fears for now that the adversaries will return to war. Prices are down more than 5% for the week.

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The Revolutionary Guard said the U.S. has tried to obstruct a deal between Iran and Oman. Washington must accept the agreement for Hormuz to reopen, the spokesman said.

The statement from the Revolutionary Guard comes a day after the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman met in Tehran to discuss a temporary joint shipping route through Hormuz. The countries are separated by the strait, which is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point.

President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman earlier this month when asked by Fox News about Muscat’s negotiations with Tehran on Hormuz.

Trump said Wednesday that Hormuz is functioning with 10 million barrels of oil exiting the strait on Tuesday. “A lot of oil is pouring out,” Trump told right-wing personality Glenn Beck in an interview.

Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. controls Hormuz as the military helps ferry tankers through the strait along Oman’s coast. U.S. Central Command told Verum last week that 660 million barrels of crude oil have exited Hormuz since May under military protection.

Technologies

Largest intraday stock moves: Meta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zoom, Intuit and more

Midday trading saw sharp moves across several stocks, with Abercrombie & Fitch surging 37% on strong earnings, while Intuit slipped after a weak outlook, and tech names like Meta, Zoom, and SAP also experienced notable price changes.

Market Insight

<h2>Top intraday stock movers include Meta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zoom, Intuit and others</h2>

Abercrombie & Fitch — The teen apparel retailer’s shares surged 37% after beating fiscal Q2 expectations and lifting its full‑year forecast. Adjusted earnings were $2.42 per share, and revenue rose 5% to $1.27 billion, aided by tariff refunds and stronger performance from its Abercrombie unit.

Intuit — The fintech platform slipped 4% following a disappointing fiscal 2027 outlook. Intuit now projects revenue of $23.3‑$23.5 billion for the fiscal year that began this quarter, below FactSet’s $23.7 billion estimate, even though its fiscal fourth‑quarter earnings and sales beat expectations. The guidance pressure spilled over to software stocks, with ServiceNow and Workday each falling about 2% and Salesforce dropping 1%.

Meta Platforms — Shares jumped 3% after the company and a group of state attorneys general reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging Meta deliberately designed its apps to be addictive for teenagers. A trial on the matter had begun the previous week in California.

Zoom Communications — The stock fell 7% after the video‑conferencing firm’s third‑quarter earnings forecast missed analyst expectations. Zoom now expects earnings of $1.46‑$1.48 per share for the quarter, below FactSet’s $1.50 estimate.

Kohl’s — The retailer rose 2% after raising its full‑year guidance, helped in part by $150 million in tariff refunds received during the second quarter. Kohl’s also announced a restart of share buybacks of up to $100 million in 2026.

J.M. Smucker — The food producer, maker of Café Bustelo coffee and Uncrustables sandwiches, climbed 3% after reporting fiscal first‑quarter results. Revenue of $2.22 billion exceeded the LSEG consensus of $2.13 billion, and adjusted earnings per share were $3.24, though it was unclear how that compared to the $2.22 estimate.

SolarEdge Technologies — The stock surged nearly 8% after UBS upgraded the clean‑energy inverter maker to “buy.” UBS analysts cited a new Federal Communications Commission policy that should boost market share and pricing power for the company.

Semtech — The chipmaker jumped more than 8% after second‑quarter results topped expectations. Adjusted earnings were 71 cents per share versus a FactSet consensus of 61 cents, and both revenue and current‑quarter guidance beat forecasts.

Boston Scientific — The medical device manufacturer fell 5% after disclosing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that a cybersecurity incident is expected to cause service disruptions and limited product access. The company said no restoration timeline is available yet.

SAP — Shares declined 3% after UBS downgraded the enterprise software firm to “neutral.” Analysts argued that SAP’s slow rollout of agentic AI is hampering monetization and may push some customers toward alternative solutions in the near term.

— Verum’s Christina Cheddar Berk, Ananya Chetia and Fred Imbert contributed reporting