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Columbus Public Health announced today that it is recommending that the mask requirement in Columbus and Worthington end on March 7.

Doctors and health researchers are looking to testing rates, case rates – and intuition – to determine when they'll feel comfortable mingling maskless indoors.

The Bexley City Council has dropped the city's mask mandate, effectively immediately. Two more Central Ohio school districts are making similar moves.

Starting Monday, Olentangy students no longer have to mask up in the classroom.

Some retailers are starting to get the first wave of the 400 million free masks being distributed by the federal government. Every person is allowed to receive up to three masks.

The high-quality masks will go to pharmacies and community health centers starting this week in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19.

The White House announced 1,000 military medical personnel will go to Ohio and five other states in the coming days. Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said some of them will be providing additional medical staff for the Cleveland Clinic.

The hospital leaders asked officials at the state's more than 600 school districts to consider asking kids to wear masks when they return from the holiday break next week.

Nine states have active mask mandates, even as the new variant is quickly moving in on the U.S. Despite their political unpopularity, research shows masks still work and could save lives.

A district statement said the date was picked to give 5-to-11 year old students time to get vaccinated over their winter break.