saying, be cautious here. cdc director dr. rochelle walensky says new guidance will be coming, but that now is not the time to lift mask mandates. even so, today, with those new announcements from new york, rhode island, and illinois, at least nine states now rolling back restrictions within weeks. new york s governor kathy hochul citing a 93% fall in cases since last month s peak, saying, quote, this is exactly what we ve been waiting for. tomorrow, new york will end its emergency mask or vaccination requirement for businesses imposed two months ago when omicron hit. but masks will still be required in hospitals, health care facilities, public transportation, and in schools, as i mentioned. she said, until march, after the february break. she said more guidance will be coming. and tonight, even as the debate over masks continues, whether to take them off now or wait a few more weeks, one thing does appear certain at least for now, that we are headed in the right direction. and dr. a