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.

U.S. health officials are restating their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.

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.

The White House says it is reviewing the next steps and may still appeal a federal judge’s decision to overturn a nationwide mask mandate on public transportation.

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

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

During a Friday call, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention announced it would change its recommendations to remove or ease mask mandates in areas it sees as lower risk for COVID-19 transmission.

Publix employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to wear a mast on the job.

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.

The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings.

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.

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.

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the agency is preparing to update information on its website about face masks but continues to recommend that everyone wear some type of mask.

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.

UF Health is recommending that people wear N95 or KN95 masks in public settings rather than cloth or surgical masks, which don’t fit as closely to the face.

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

Citing a new state law signed Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Duval County Public Schools says it is suspending its requirement for parents to opt their children out of wearing a face covering.

Students attending Duval County Public Schools no longer need a doctor’s note, but they still need paperwork signed by a parent or guardian to opt out of wearing a mask in the classroom.

Duval County students no longer need a doctor’s note to opt out of wearing a face mask.

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

The state and six school districts called their final witnesses Friday in an administrative hearing over the state’s school COVID-19 policies.

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.

Duval County, Alachua County and a handful of other Florida school districts will lose state funds for requiring students to wear masks in violation of a state rule prohibiting such mandates.

The number of Florida school districts facing sanctions at Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting over mask policies is now down to nine.

It’s long past time for an upgrade.

Parents of students who attend schools in Duval and Alachua counties have filled an emergency petition, asking for changes to be made to their school boards’ mask policies and quarantine procedures.

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 fine previously started at $250 and went up to $1,500 for repeat offenders.

The Duval County School Board on Tuesday voted to automatically lift the district’s mask mandate once the COVID-19 positivity rate in the community reaches a “moderate level.”

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.

After hours of sometimes fiery debate involving doctors, parents and local leaders, the Duval County School Board on Monday made the controversial and potentially costly decision to require face masks.

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.

Parents of 15 children filed a lawsuit Friday challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order banning mask mandates in Florida schools.

Several parents and even a student stood in front of the Clay County School Board on Thursday to explain why they are either for or against students wearing masks this school year.

The Florida Broad of Education is likely to adopt its emergency rule on masking in schools Friday.

There’s a big change to how Duval County Public Schools is handling student face masks.

Beginning Wednesday, face masks will again be required inside Camden County facilities, the county said in a news release.

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.

All Duval County Public Schools employees, district vendors and visitors will be required to wear face coverings for a period of 30 days, starting Monday, according to an email Friday from Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene.

As COVID-19 cases increase, several companies and other institutions are changing their mask policies.

We’re putting through the Trust Index a statement from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office about children wearing masks in classrooms.

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.

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.

Duval County Public Schools is holding a workshop Wednesday, and it’s expected the district will discuss the topic of masks in schools and the new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

In a round table discussion Monday, which was not disclosed to the public ahead of time, Gov. Ron DeSantis met with a group of supporters to discuss, and heavily criticize, the idea of wearing face coverings in Florida schools.

The CDC is expected to update guidelines to urge vaccinated people in certain areas of the country to resume wearing masks because of Covid-19.

The Naval Air Station Jacksonville Commanding Officer is encouraging personnel and their loved ones to get vaccinated as soon as possible, but whether they are vaccinated or not, they'll be wearing masks inside buildings moving forward he said Tuesday.

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)

The Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine’s historic district and the other locations in Florida will be requiring staff to wear masks again, beginning Tuesday.

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

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

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on Wednesday made another plea for Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the more contagious delta variant becomes the dominant strain.

Jacksonville hospitals are seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases, with the number of patients at some facilities doubling in the last two weeks.

There was a sense of back to normal when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks. On Friday, the World Health Organization came out and said masks should stay on.

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?

Starting June 5, masks will be optional for all school-related activities, including summer school, the Nassau County School District said Tuesday.

The new guidance is for day camps and overnight camps.

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.

A yearlong legal battle about a mask mandate in Alachua County could be moot after Gov. Ron DeSantis this month suspended local COVID-19 restrictions, according to a new court filing.

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.

Target, CVS, Winn-Dixie, Publix, Trader Joe’s, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart and Starbucks have all announced they’re dropping their requirements that fully vaccinated customers wear face coverings in their stories, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance issued Thursday.

The country's aggressive vaccination campaign has paid off, according to the CDC. It says coronavirus cases in the country are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the pandemic began.

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

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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Florida reported its third consecutive day of more than 10,000 newly confirmed coronavirus cases, large crowds gathered for events across Jacksonville. Organizers asked parade-goers to socially distance and encouraged them to wear masks. News4Jax saw groups both wearing masks and not wearing masks and most tried to keep their distance from one another, but some spots along the parade route did get more congested. “We are still going to try and have some fun but yes, definitely going to maintain some distance from everyone,” Taylor Self said. The Florida Department of Health reported 10,431 new cases of COVID-19 in the state on Saturday with 494 new cases in Duval County.

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.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Actor Mark Wahlberg is aiding students and teachers across the nation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, including those in Lakeland, Florida. KSAT reports that Wahlberg’s activewear brand Performance Inspired recently partnered with the active lifestyle brand LifeToGo to donate 1.3 million disposable face masks to teachers and students across the nation, as announced in a press release. Some areas have already received the donated 3-ply masks, including some students and teachers in San Antonio, the release said. Other places where donated masks have been received include Bentonville (AR), Boise (ID), Chicago (Ill.), Cincinnati (Ohio), Grand Rapids (MI), Minneapolis (MN), Portland (OR), Quincy (MA), Rochester (NY), Salisbury (NC), San Antonio (TX), and Woonsocket (RI). Wahlberg posted a video message on social media thanking essential workers and teachers as they combat the pandemic.

Face masks not only slow the spread of COVID-19 but may also protect people wearing them, too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest guide on the dos and donts of wearing a mask. Do NOT wear masks intended for health care workers for example, N95 respirators. RELATED: Masks 101: Everything from mistakes to avoid to how to store your face covering | CONSUMER REPORTS: Your most pressing questions about masks answered by CRs chief scientistAs for wearing a face shield instead of a face mask, both the CDC and Dickerson agree a face shield can be worn in addition to a face mask, but not on its own. If you dont wear a mask under your face shield, small droplets in the air could be carried up under the shield and land on your nose or mouth, Dickerson said.

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.

Jacksonville resident sews thousands of masks for people across the countryPublished: August 30, 2020, 10:31 pmA nationwide sewing group called “Auntie Sewing Squad” has been making free masks for people who need them during the coronavirus pandemic.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A nationwide sewing group called “Auntie Sewing Squad” has been making free masks for people who need them during the coronavirus pandemic. Jacksonville resident Lori Ann Brown discovered the group, which was started by comedian Kristina Wong, in the spring. “Back in March, I started making masks for all of my friends, all of my neighbors, all of my family,” explained Brown. She also established a branch of the sewing group called “Grandmas Sewing Squad.”“I’m doing this because I love my country,” explained Brown. “I truly believe that every one of those masks will save a life.”To date, Brown said Aunties Sewing Group has distributed nearly 90,000 masks.