Masks will no longer be required in Arlington County, Virginia, public buildings starting Thursday.
The county government said in a statement Wednesday that the decision was made based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidelines, issued last week.
“The CDC’s new tool – COVID-19 Community Levels – looks at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area to determine a level of low, medium or high,” the statement said.
Arlington is in the low range, and masks will be optional as long as that remains true.
Masks will still be required on public transportation, and inside any medical facilities.
The government repeated that vaccination is the best defense against COVID-19. To find a vaccine location near you, visit vaccines.gov, walk into one of the county’s clinics, or call the county’s COVID-19 hotline at 703-400-5368.
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