New York, Mar 8 (IANS): Advisers and experts have urged the White House to take additional steps to combat coronavirus and reduce the risk of other infectious diseases, with the goal of avoiding the societal disruptions that have characterised the past two years.

Vaccinate 85 per cent of Americans against the coronavirus; ensure that people experiencing long Covid-19 can get disability benefits; develop a plan to restore trust in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- these are among the 250 recommendations that were issued on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The nation is not yet at the next normal," the experts, including six members from the Covid-19 advisory board of US President Joe Biden's transition team, prominent researchers and former leaders of the CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, wrote in their 136-page report.

The group of medical luminaries warned against "complacency, inaction, or premature triumphalism" in the fight against the coronavirus, while trying to lay out a "road map" to help Americans get back to our more normal routines, according to The Washington Post, Xinhua reported.

Masks are now optional for public school children in New York City from kindergarten on up. Monday is a day some have yearned for and others think has come too soon, triggered by the decision by Mayor Eric Adams to lift the mask mandate in New York City schools. The move came hours after Governor Kathy Hochul announced she would lift the statewide mandate.

The NYC Department of Education said it will continue to require daily health screenings and that students returning from suspected coronavirus infections must wear masks for several days. In addition, the department strongly recommends that students or staff exposed to the virus wear face coverings, although it does not require them to do so, according to the report.

Since the Omicron surge has been ebbing, pandemic restrictions have been lifted in many states, including New York, allowing local officials to make their own determinations on masks. In Connecticut, the decision was turned over to localities late last month, while in New Jersey, rules similar to New York's go into effect today, said the report.

"Like so many virus restriction rollbacks, this one has been met with an anxious mix of excitement, hope and concern," reported The New York Times, noting that while NYC has a vaccination rate that is above the national figure, rates among children have continued to lag, and are not consistent across schools.