CDC Reverses Policy, Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors Even For Vaccinated in COVID Hotspots

COVID-19 isn't done with us yet. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is set to release new mask recommendations July 27 requiring even those who have been vaccinated against the virus to wear face coverings indoors.

The New York Times report on this development states the revised recommendations will apply "in certain areas of the country."

Here's more from the Times:

The change follows reports of rising breakthrough infections with the Delta variant of the virus in people who were fully immunized, and case surges in regions with low vaccination rates. The vaccines remain effective against the worst outcomes of infection with the virus, including those involving the Delta variant.

But the new guidance, the details of which are expected later Tuesday, would mark a sharp turnabout from the agency’s position since May that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most indoor spaces.

Back in May, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky indicated that the agency could relax indoor mask recommendations because, as the Times writes, few "vaccinated people become infected with the virus, and transmission seems rarer still." 

That was before the Delta variant of the virus became more widespread. Since then, this much more easily transmitted version of the bug has been found in "clusters" that included fully vaccinated people, indicating it may be able to break through vaccine protection easier than other coronavirus variations. 

This comes on the heels of a USA Today report that California and New York City plan to require vaccinations or testing and the Department of Veteran Affairs "has made shots mandatory for medical workers."

Multiple reports, as well as statements by Dr. Anthony Fauci, indicate we're seeing renewed concerns about infections from variants at least in part because, according to the Times (citing federal data), "[slightly] less than half of the population had been fully vaccinated, as of Monday."

Vaxxed and masks thrown out or stored away? Go here to stock up again. Just in case.

from Maxim https://ift.tt/2UMequh