National CDC Says Double-Masking Offers More Protection Against The Coronavirus New research found that wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask significantly boosts protection against droplets that can transmit the virus. Tying knots on the ear loops of medical masks also helps. Laurel Wamsley
Health Should Schools Reopen If Teachers Aren't Yet Vaccinated? CDC Will Soon Weigh In President Biden wants schools to reopen quickly. But there are questions about whether teachers should first be vaccinated. The CDC will provide more guidance next week. Ayesha Rascoe
National CDC Issues Sweeping New Mask Mandate For U.S. Travelers, Extends Eviction Moratorium The new travel order will require passengers to wear face coverings on nearly all forms of public transportation, including airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis and ride-shares. Jason Breslow
Health Costume May Have Contributed To An Outbreak At California Hospital, Infecting 44 Hospital officials in San Jose are investigating whether an inflatable costume contributed to an emergency department outbreak. One hospital employee died after testing positive for the coronavirus. Reese Oxner
National Why The CDC Eviction Ban Isn't Really A Ban: 'I Have Nowhere To Go' Families are getting put out on the street despite an eviction protection order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advocates say the order needs to be extended and strengthened. Chris Arnold
National House Oversight Committee Chair: Testimony Points To Political Interference At CDC Rep. James Clyburn says the Trump Administration may have deliberately tried to "conceal and destroy evidence that senior political appointees interfered" with the CDC's coronavirus response. Vanessa Romo
Health Biden Names Massachusetts Doctor to Lead CDC Dr. Rochelle Walensky is an infectious disease expert and teaches at Harvard Medical School. She will replace Robert Redfield, the current director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brakkton Booker
Health Pence Says It's A 'Season Of Hope,' While CDC Officials Warn Of COVID-19 Surge Pence visited the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to highlight promising vaccine developments, but he received a grim assessment of the current state of the pandemic in the U.S. Tamara Keith
National CDC Likely To Recommend Shortening Coronavirus Quarantine Period Federal health officials could reduce the quarantine from the currently recommended 14 days to as few as seven for people who test negative for the virus. Rob Stein Scott Neuman
National CDC Report: Officials Knew Coronavirus Test Was Flawed But Released It Anyway An unreleased CDC review obtained by NPR shows that lab officials knew an early coronavirus test kit had a high failure rate. They decided not to recall it and sent it to the nation's labs anyway. Dina Temple-Raston
