What the CDC's new mask changes mean for Mass.

Also: How climate change could affect billions; the war "nobody wants" [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 28, 2022 🌤️ Sunny, with a high near 26 Good Morning Boston, Today marks the return from February school vacation for many Massachusetts families. The news cycle, however, certainly did not take a break. Quickly catch up on the local impacts of the CDC's recent mask policy changes, the war in Ukraine and a new climate report: - With COVID-19 rates continuing to trend downward and immunity widespread in the wake of the omicron wave, the CDC [once again changed up its face covering policies Friday](. - The big news was the CDC’s decision to incorporate COVID hospitalizations and hospital capacity into [its equation]( for determining whether individuals in a particular area should wear a mask in indoor public places (the previous framework was, [somewhat controversially]( only based on infection rates). - The new framework shifts all 14 Massachusetts counties into “low” or “medium” COVID community levels ([check out the full map here](. That means the CDC is no longer advising healthy Bay Staters to wear masks indoors. - Of course, the new guidelines are — as always — advisory. In other words, they have no binding impact on local policies, though officials may take the new guidelines into consideration (Boston, for instance, is [planning to review the city’s indoor mask mandate on Tuesday](. Public transportation, health facilities and many individual businesses also still have their own mask rules. - However, there is one place in Massachusetts where the CDC’s new policies will have an effect: school buses. - As of Friday, the CDC is no longer requiring masks be worn on school buses for K-12 students and children in childcare programs. And with Massachusetts’ [statewide school mask mandate lifting today]( state officials [subsequently told superintendents]( that it is now up to districts to require masks on school buses (previously, masks were going to still be required on school buses even in districts that lifted their school mask mandate). Some, like [North Attleborough]( and [Peabody]( quickly updated their policies to optional. - WBUR's Carrie Jung [reports]( the transition back to a mask-optional policy is going mostly smoothly for schools — or at least relatively speaking. - Superintendents estimate at least half of the state public school districts will make masks optional today. However, some districts are waiting at least a week or two longer. For example, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city will wait and monitor whether families’ return from school vacation affects local transmission rates. - The MIAA's statewide mask requirement for school sports also lifts today, meaning students will only have to wear masks during games if the host school requires them. - Zoom out: Western sanctions are taking a toll on Russia, as the U.S. and its international allies step up the economic punishment for President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. - Just today, Russia's currency, the ruble, [lost 30% of its value]( and the country suspended its stock market. Russian and Ukrainian officials are [scheduled to meet today]( in Belarus to discuss a potential cease fire, as Putin's forces continue to meet fierce resistance in cities like the capitol of Kyiv. - Zoom in: Thousands of people demonstrated against Russia's war Sunday in downtown Boston (check out the photos below). MIT is also [severing ties with a research university it helped establish in Russia]( citing the country's "unacceptable military actions." P.S.— Are you going back to the office as the pandemic eases? Some residents are looking at an imminent in-person return date on their calendars — and we're working on a story about the latest round of office reopenings. Whether you're excited about the return or dreading it (or both), we'd love to hear from you. If interested, please introduce yourself to our business team [using this form](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown ['Nobody wants this war': Thousands demonstrate in Boston in support of Ukraine]( Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday in downtown Boston in support of Ukraine in its battle against invading Russian forces. [Read more.]( ['Nobody wants this war': Thousands demonstrate in Boston in support of Ukraine]( Thousands of people took to the streets Sunday in downtown Boston in support of Ukraine in its battle against invading Russian forces. [Read more.]( [Billions of people are in danger from climate change, U.N. report warns]( According to a new United Nations report released Monday, some ecosystems have already been irreversibly altered. And climate change is wreaking havoc on human health. [Read more.]( [Billions of people are in danger from climate change, U.N. report warns]( According to a new United Nations report released Monday, some ecosystems have already been irreversibly altered. And climate change is wreaking havoc on human health. [Read more.]( [Overdue, or premature? Child care providers have mixed reactions as state lifts mask mandate]( Child care providers can now design their own mask policies — and programs are "all over the map." [Read more.]( [Overdue, or premature? Child care providers have mixed reactions as state lifts mask mandate]( Child care providers can now design their own mask policies — and programs are "all over the map." [Read more.]( [Many Mass. hospitals are short-staffed. The culprit may not be a shortage of nurses]( According to state data, there are 24% more registered nurses now than there were before the pandemic. So why do many hospitals and clinics have job openings? [Read more.]( [Many Mass. hospitals are short-staffed. The culprit may not be a shortage of nurses]( According to state data, there are 24% more registered nurses now than there were before the pandemic. So why do many hospitals and clinics have job openings? [Read more.]( [This won't be the first State of the Union speech given during a crisis]( President Biden is due to deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday. And even when under maximum pressure, presidents have viewed the speech as a unique opportunity. [Read more.]( [This won't be the first State of the Union speech given during a crisis]( President Biden is due to deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday. And even when under maximum pressure, presidents have viewed the speech as a unique opportunity. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - MGH radiology resident Dr. Daniel Chonde believes art can unlock doors to better health — and he is determined to provide a key through a new health equity project. Check out Chonde's [interview on WBUR's Weekend Edition](. - Infectious disease doctors Pranay Sinha and Scott Heysell [write in this commentary]( that people are asking the wrong question about masks. - The Boston Ballet will be putting female creators front and center with five world premieres in its production “ChoreograpHER," which begins this week. WBUR's Shira Laucharoen [has more](. - A reminder: The Pick Me Up newsletter starts tomorrow! We'll send you a little bit of good news every weekday in March to help you get through the afternoon — and the rest of winter. [Sign up here (and tell your friends!)]( Who doesn't need more joy in their life, right? What We're Reading 📚 - My Burnout Isn’t Just a Health Issue. It’s a Money Issue. ([Harvard Business Review]( - Is There Such a Thing as Black Thought? ([The New York Times Magazine)]( - How Bagel Bites Took a (Tiny) Bite Out of Snacking History ([MEL Magazine]( Tell Me Something Good [How Vermont's 'snowflake man' created the first-ever images of fleeting snow crystals]( Using a microscope and a bellows camera, Wilson Bentley successfully photographed his first snow crystal in 1885. Almost 100 years after his death, his images continue to mesmerize. [Read more.]( [How Vermont's 'snowflake man' created the first-ever images of fleeting snow crystals]( Using a microscope and a bellows camera, Wilson Bentley successfully photographed his first snow crystal in 1885. Almost 100 years after his death, his images continue to mesmerize. [Read more.]( Before you go: The storm? Snow problem, [pop the top and let's ride!]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.