CDC Updates Recommendations to Mask Policy

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention updated it’s mask guidance yesterday. In the new guidelines, it’s recommended that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors when in areas with ‘substantial’ and ‘high’ transmission of the Coronavirus which includes almost two-thirds of all U.S. counties. Unvaccinated people should still continue wearing masks until they are fully vaccinated. CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said “In recent days I have seen new scientific data from recent outbreak investigations showing that the Delta variant behaves uniquely differently from past strains of the virus that cause Covid-19, this new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations, this is not a decision that we or the CDC has made lightly.”

New data from the CDC shows vaccinated people who get the Delta variant can have as much virus as those who are unvaccinated but overall vaccinated people play a small role in transmission and breakthrough infections are rare. Two other factors including the prevalence of the Delta variant and low vaccine uptake led to the decision. The CDC also updated it’s guidance so everyone in schools wears masks. Walensky said “CDC recommends that everyone in K-12 schools wear a mask indoors, including teachers, staff, students and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.”