Feb 23, 2022 - Health

Hawaii will soon be the only U.S. state with a mask mandate

Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that hasn't announced plans to lift its mask mandate, CBS News reported Wednesday.

Driving the news: With COVID-19 cases finally declining following the Omicron wave, many states and businesses have signaled a readiness to ease pandemic health restrictions.

In recent weeks, many states — including blue ones like California, Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware — have announced end dates for their mask requirements and other pandemic restrictions.

The big picture: Hawaii has seen some of the lowest coronavirus death rates in the U.S. throughout the pandemic.

Gov. David Ige last week attributed this success to the state's indoor mask mandate and other health restrictions proving "successful in protecting our community from this potentially deadly virus."
"We base our decisions on science, with the health and safety of our community as the top priority," Ige added.