Pandemic Inflection Point: Drop In Cases Stalls, States Loosen Public Health Measures

In the U.S., the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is improving every day, but hundreds of millions of people are still vulnerable. And now, with some states relaxing or eliminating public health measures altogether, many people live in places where the virus will be freer to spread unchecked.

KUT reporter Ashley Lopez reports on how business owners and employees are reacting to the rollback of COVID-19 restrictions in Texas.

And Rochelle Walensky, the new director for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, tells NPR this could be a turning point in the pandemic — as more states face crucial decisions about whether to relax public health measures. Here's more from Walensky's interview with NPR's Ari Shapiro.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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This episode was produced by Brent Baughman, Lee Hale and Brianna Scott. It was edited by Sami Yenigun with help from Scott Hensley and Wynne Davis. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.