Vox: “Covid-19 — and the resulting pandemic associated with the virus — continues to threaten the world. In the US, a majority of the population is experiencing low Covid-19 community levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Yet roughly a third of Americans are still living in areas with high risks, primarily in the Northeast and Midwest. As we enter our third summer since the Covid-19 outbreak began, public health experts are warning of another likely wave of infections. But as public concerns over the pandemic begin to wane, public health messaging around Covid-19 may become more challenging. On Thursday, the CDC recommended those living in communities with high levels of infection wear face masks indoors in public settings, even though the federal mask mandate is no longer in effect after it was overturned by a federal judge. “We urge local leaders to encourage the use of prevention strategies like masking in public indoor settings, and increasing access to testing and treatment for individuals,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told the New York Times. Hospital data remains a primary metric in how experts are tracking trends in the pandemic. As of early May, Covid-19 hospitalizations were up by 22.4%, with about 3,000 people admitted with Covid-19 per day, according to the CDC. Experts believe those numbers will only trend upward in the months to come, underlining the need for strong public health measures…”