Betty Whittington, who spent 12 days on a ventilator last summer battling Covid-19, enjoys a socially-distanced visit with her 8-month-old great-granddaughter Waverly as in-person family visits have resumed at Choctaw Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in the small town of Ackerman, Mississippi, U.S. March 10, 2021. In rural Choctaw County, Mississippi, a recent lull in Covid cases and ongoing vaccination campaigns are giving many members of the community a sense of optimism about the yearlong coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as Mississippi and surrounding states have announced that they are rescinding  mask mandates and other coronavirus restrictions. Picture taken March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst