COLUMBUS – As the death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 6 million and the U.S. nears the 1 million mark on its own, officials in big cities around the country are pushing for a return to normalcy after two grueling years of the pandemic.
Columbus City Council is expected to vote Monday night to rescind the city’s mask mandate, though Mayor Andrew Ginther will have to sign off on that too.
Masks will be optional in Columbus City School buildings and on district buses starting Tuesday.
New York City will do away with several of its mandates this week.
As of March 4, residents in Los Angeles County were no longer required to wear masks at restaurants, bars, gyms, shops and other businesses.
The Ohio Department of Health reported 360 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and the Ohio Hospital Association said 821 patients were being treated for the disease in the state’s hospitals, an 87% decline in the past 60 days and the lowest number since August 6.