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, at Choctaw Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as in person visits with family members have resumed 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