There Is Little Evidence That Mask Mandates Had an Important Impact During the Omicron Surge

As of yesterday, The New York Times reports, every state that required people to wear face masks in public places and/or in schools during this winter’s COVID-19 surge has decided to lift those mandates, with the exception of Hawaii. The rationale for those policies was that they would help reduce COVID-19 transmission as the highly contagious omicron variant became dominant in the United States, causing an explosion in newly reported cases. Explaining the justification for lifting mask requirements, governors and public health agencies generally have cited the precipitous decline in daily new cases…