Coronavirus Watch: Is it time to phase out masks in schools?

Fatigue and frustration are setting in two years into the pandemic, and a growing chorus of doctors, parents and state officials are calling for an end to school mask mandates.

As the omicron wave recedes, multiple states have taken action to phase out statewide school mask requirements, and a number of high-profile medical professionals have changed their tunes on the matter.

Reporter Grace Hauck tackles the two schools of thought on lifting mask requirements in schools here.

It's Wednesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know for the middle of your week:

• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are both expected to join the ranks of fellow Democratic governors Wednesday in rescinding some indoor mask mandates as cases drop rapidly across the United States.
• Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo refused to disclose whether he has been vaccinated at a confirmation hearing this week. 
• Britain's last remaining COVID restrictions could be gone by month's end, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. The last major rule, mandatory self-isolation of at least five days after testing positive, had been scheduled to expire March 24.

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 75% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 64% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

– Cady Stanton, Paste BN digital editor fellow, @cady_stanton