News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined this morning by Dr. Hugh Cassiere to talk about masks and COVID-19 vaccines.

Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to announce the end to the New Jersey school mask mandate that has been in place since 2020.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who wear N95 and KN95 masks are 83% less likely to test positive for COVID-19. Those who wear regular surgical masks are 66% less likely to contract the virus. And when it comes to cloth masks, just 56%.

The CDC now says people who've had the MRNA vaccines should look to get a fourth shot at least three months after the previous booster. The new guidance applies to people 18 and older who've had the Moderna vaccine, as well as those ages 12 and older for the Pfizer-BioNTech version.

We recently saw such high numbers of infections here in the tri-state - so now there's new questions about their immunity. If they have not yet received a booster shot, do they still need to get one? And when is the optimal time to get it?

Where are we now when it comes to COVID-19 and hospitals?

Groundbreaking research by several top American medical centers has identified a COVID-19 pandemic spike in cases of so-called "broken heart syndrome," a potentially deadly stress-induced heart condition that doctors say is disproportionately impacting women.

The rare but dangerous form of heart disease is triggered by intense emotional or physical stress when a sudden flood of hormones is believed to stun the heart into pumping less efficiently.

A study found only 3 out of every 10 parents say they would get a child under 5 vaccinated "right away."

Is it possible to test too early for COVID-19? When should you retest if your first test is negative?