By Julie Steenhuysen

(Reuters). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dramatically reduced its COVID-19 guidelines for the time Americans should use masks indoors. Its move means that 72% will be living in places where it is not advised to cover their faces indoors.

New masking guidelines no longer focus solely on COVID-19 transmission rates but also local hospitalizations and hospital capacities.

According to the previous guidelines, 95% U.S. countries were considered to have high transmission. This left just 5% under the agency’s recommendation that they abandon indoor mask requirements.

These moves are coming as the Omicron variant of coronavirus is less prevalent in America. States such as New Jersey and California have already announced plans to remove indoor mask requirements for public schools in the near future.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told a media briefing that masks will be required for travelers on all planes, trains and buses as well as at stations and airports.

She said that the CDC would revisit these requirements in the weeks ahead.

Americans are sick of wearing masks, especially with the current pandemic lasting two years. Studies have also shown that Omicron variant infections were more severe in people who had been vaccinated than the previous coronavirus versions.

The CDC stated that universal school masking is now recommended only for communities with a high COVID-19. The original recommendation called for masking at schools, regardless of level of COVID-related transmission.

Walensky stated that the agency’s focus was on serious disease and filling up risk hospitals.

Walensky stated that “we need to be flexible” and be able say when conditions are improving, we should be willing to reduce our preventive measures. We need to have the ability to call them again, if we are able to get another variant during the surge.