COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Public Health announced Monday that it recommends the city can lift its mask requirement on March 7. 

The health department said ending the mandate is in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest mask guidance.

Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said the health department will continue to focus on efforts to protect those who are at highest risk. 

“The pandemic is not over, but the situation has changed, and we are in a new phase,” Roberts said. “It is time to turn our efforts to minimizing the impact COVID-19 has on our health, our health care systems and our community.”

Announcing the possible end date, officials encouraged residents to get vaccines and boosters and noted that the city councils for Columbus and Worthington will need to take action to remove the mandate.

“The requirement – which must be removed by Worthington City Council and Columbus City Council through legislative action and by Columbus Mayor’s executive order – will be lifted in seven days to ensure the community maintains the new current level of disease burden and to give public and private entities time to adjust their policies and prepare for the shift,” a statement from Columbus Public Health said.

Columbus City Council confirmed in a statement Monday afternoon that it will hold a vote for lifting the mandate on March 7.

"With decreasing case numbers and hospitalizations in Franklin County and across Ohio, we should feel good about where we are in this pandemic, but still vigilant," Council President Shannon Hardin said.

The mask mandate in Columbus has been in effect since September. On Feb. 16, the mayor’s office announced that mask requirements could be lifted in the “coming weeks” if virus levels continue to decline, sharing the update after a meeting with officials who represent Bexley, Whitehall and Worthington.

Bexley City Council lifted its mask mandate last week. The mask requirement in Whitehall was ended Monday. 

The CDC’s new guidance bases mask recommendation on three transmission levels — low, medium and high, which are determined by cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity. Following recent virus declines, Franklin County is at the medium level, according to the CDC. 

More than 60% of U.S. counties are at low or medium transmission. At the medium level, the CDC recommends people at “increased risk” consult with a health professional about wearing a mask. At the low level, there is no recommendation for masks.

Explaining the department's recommendation during a council meeting Monday evening, Roberts said that the omicron variant is mild for most people, especially those who are vaccinated. 

"We are in a very different position today than we were in September when this council put the mask order in place," she said, mentioning expanded vaccine authorization, new therapeutics and the widespread availability of testing.

Roberts said Columbus Public Health has discussed the mask question with Columbus City Schools, but she is not aware of the district having made a decision yet. 

"I think there's science that can justify either decision they make," she said.