The Latest: Wyoming Gov. to lift mask mandate March 16

The Latest: Wyoming Gov. to lift mask mandate March 16

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says the state will join a handful of others that have lifted mask-wearing mandates to limit the spread of the coronavirus

By The Associated Press

March 8, 2021, 10:01 PM

• 15 min read

Lateral Flow Tests are processed as children arrive at Outwood Academy in Woodlands, Doncaster, England, Monday March 8, 2021. British children are returning to school on Monday after a two-month closure, part of what Prime Minister Boris Johnson said was a plan to get the country to “start moving closer to a sense of normality.” (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

CHEYANNE, Wyo. — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says the state will join a handful of others that have lifted mask-wearing mandates to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The changes take effect March 16.

Also being lifted are requirements for bars, restaurants, theaters and gyms, where employees must wear masks and customers not seated in small groups have to keep 6 feet apart.

Gordon cites Wyoming’s declining number of COVID-19 cases and its success in distributing vaccines as reasons to lift the restrictions.

The statewide order in place since December was set to expire next week. States including Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota and Texas also have lifted mask mandates.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— CDC: Fully-vaccinated people can gather without masks

— From vote to virus, misinformation campaign targets Latinos in US

— UK schools reopen widely, backed by frequent virus testing

— Russia finds its Sputnik V vaccine in hot demand overseas but questions arise over whether it can produce the millions of vaccine doses ordered

— Vaccine rollout offers hope but also prompts envy, judgement and distrust

— Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

HELSINKI — Estonia’s government has decided on further coronavirus restrictions due to a rapid rise in cases, especially the British variant of the pandemic, and the Baltic country will effectively enter lockdown as of Thursday.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas unveiled the new measures in an interview with the Estonian public broadcaster ERR late Monday saying “the situation with COVID-19 in Estonia is extremely critical.”

Kallas said Estonia’s pandemic situation needs to be addressed quickly to avoid further escalation and hence “we have decided to lock the country in as much as possible.”

With exception of grocery and other essential stores such as pharmacies, all stores and restaurants throughout Estonia are required to remain closed and all indoor sport activities cease as of Thursday.

Restaurants will, however, be able to serve food for take-away and cater to customers in drive-in venues. Kallas said the new restrictions would be in places for several weeks and a minimum of one month.

Estonia, a nation of 1.3 million, has seen a rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks as the pandemic has spread across the nation.

The country reported Monday 1,181 new confirmed cases putting total tally to over 76,183 cases with 667 deaths.

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HONOLULU — Hawaii has detected a new COVID-19 variant in the islands, one that first emerged in South Africa.

The state Department of Health said Monday the virus, which has technical name B.1.351 was found in an Oahu resident with no travel history.

Some tests suggest the South African variant may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors, both of which help people fight off the virus.

But vaccination offers some hope.

Acting State Epidemiologist Sarah Kemble said in a statement that a study conducted in South Africa where the variant was predominant showed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was effective in preventing serious disease requiring hospitalization and in preventing death.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that as of Sunday, 81 cases of the South African variant have been detected in 19 states and Washington, D.C.

The department’s State Laboratories Division sequences genomes of COVID samples from across the state to detect variant strains.