/ Modified feb 25, 2022 3:56 p.m.

Most of Southern Arizona still must wear masks

The CDC has changed the guidance for when people need to wear masks.

360 masked couple downtown A man and woman wear masks as they walk in downtown Tucson. November 2020.
Andrea Corona/AZPM Staff

Residents of counties with low or medium spread of COVID-19 can stop wearing masks indoors according to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

In Arizona, residents of Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Coconino, and Maricopa counties do not have to wear masks according to the guidance but everyone else does.

Those are the only counties in the state that have medium community spread, all the others are considered high.

Community spread is calculated by looking at the number of COVID-19 cases in the county per 100,000 residents as well as the stress on the local health care system.

Saturday is the last day that Arizona will issue daily reports on the number of COVID-19 cases.

On Friday, Arizona reported 1,773 new cases of the virus and 55 new deaths. That is down from a high of 26,436 cases on January 10.

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