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Governor Roy Cooper and members of the North Carolina Coronavirus Task Force will share updates on COVID-19 at 11:30 a.m.
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Restrictions will ease for outdoor activities. Starting Wednesday, students will no longer be required to wear masks at recess or sports events.
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The Senate fell short Wednesday on overriding a veto to a bill that would have allowed K-12 students to opt out of COVID-19 mask-wearing mandates. The Republican measure was approved last month on the same day Cooper encouraged boards of education to end broad mask requirements.
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The study included 61 school districts, more than 3,000 schools, and more than 1.1 million students and adults from across nine states, according to Duke University, which released the findings and is a member of the collaborative.
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Economically disadvantaged students saw the greatest losses. All subgroups of students, including students labeled as academically gifted, were negatively affected.
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The new state human resources policy still gives agency heads the ability to require masks in high-risk settings such as prisons, state-run hospitals and homeless shelters.
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The federal health agency released new guidance for when Americans need to mask up indoors, saying about 70% of the population lives in a place where it's safe to go mask free.
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The Wake County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school boards voted separately on Tuesday to remove their broad COVID-19 mask requirements as of March 7. A large majority of school districts have now voted for mask-optional policies as COVID-19 transmission rates have fallen.
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Laboratories across North Carolina have identified the new strain, the state health department confirms.
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The omicron BA.2 variant spreads about 30% more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions.