Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 07, 2022, 4:34 PM EST
Connecticut to end statewide school mask mandate
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday that he recommends ending the statewide mask mandate as of Feb. 28.
Beginning in March, the decision on masks in schools will go to superintendents and mayors based on the individual needs of towns, he said.
Third grade students take part in class at Stark Elementary School, March 10, 2021, in Stamford, Conn.
John Moore/Getty Images, FILE
This comes hours after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his requirement to wear face masks in schools will end on March 7.
The CDC said it continues to recommend masks for all students 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status.
Feb 07, 2022, 2:50 PM EST
White House has contracted 569 million free tests so far
President Joe Biden's administration has so far contracted for about 569 million at-home rapid tests as it works to fulfill Biden's pledge for 1 billion free tests nationwide, a White House official told ABC News.
In this photo illustration, free iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid tests from the federal government sit on a U.S. Postal Service envelope after being delivered on Feb. 4, 2022 in San Anselmo, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
According to an ABC News analysis, the testing company iHealth is supplying the government with the most tests toward this goal, with a contract to deliver 354 million tests. Other companies supplying tests include Roche, Abbott and Siemens.
The U.S. Postal Service said Friday it's shipped out tests to "tens of millions" of those households.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett, Ben Gittleson, Lucien Bruggeman
Feb 07, 2022, 11:54 AM EST
New Jersey governor to end mask mandate for schools
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that the state’s requirement to wear face masks in schools will end on March 7.
"Balancing public health with getting back to some semblance of normalcy is not easy. But we can responsibly take this step due to declining COVID numbers and growth in vaccinations," Murphy tweeted.
In this April 29, 2021 file photo students line up to enter Christa McAuliffe School in Jersey City, N.J.
Seth Wenig/AP, FILE
Murphy, a Democrat, has imposed some of the strictest pandemic-related mandates in the country. New Jersey, an early hot spot for COVID-19 cases, has lost more than 31,000 residents to the virus.
This move follows a decision last month by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, also a Democrat, to rescind his state's mask mandate for schools.
Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of New York and Connecticut have said that they are reevaluating school mask mandates set to expire later this month.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
Feb 07, 2022, 11:47 AM EST
All states reporting declining or stable new case rates
After months of rising cases due to the omicron surge, every state in the U.S. is now reporting declining or stable new case rates, according to federal data.
Less than one month ago, the U.S. was averaging more than 800,000 new cases per day. Now that average has plummeted to just over 313,000 new cases per day -- a 61% drop since the nation's peak in mid-January and a 56% drop in the last two weeks.
People receive three free N95 masks as part of a government strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at Meijer in Southfield, Mich., Jan. 25, 2022.
Emily Elconin/Reuters
Nurses prepare doses of Covid-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccination clinic at the St. Bernadette Catholic Church during the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles, Feb. 4, 2022.
Etienne Laurent/EPA via Shutterstock
Even so, the U.S. still reported nearly 2.2 million new COVID-19 cases last week; the nation's daily case average remains higher than during any other wave of the pandemic.
Hospitalizations are also falling. About 14,000 Americans are being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 each day -- down by more than 23% in the last week, according to federal data.
Deaths, however, remain very high, with 16,800 Americans dying from COVID-19 over the last week. Deaths are a lagging indicator and usually take a few weeks to dip after the country sees a decline in cases and hospitalizations.
