The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reversed its mask guidance for vaccinated people due to the delta variant surge.
Vaccinated Americans should now wear masks inside if they’re in places with substantial or high transmission, the CDC said.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said data show that on “rare occasions, some vaccinated people with the delta variant … may be contagious and spread the virus to others. This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations.”
The CDC also said Tuesday that masks should be worn in schools by all students, teachers, staff and visitors, even for those who are vaccinated. The CDC said students should return to full-time in-person learning this year with prevention strategies in place.
The United States is facing a COVID-19 summer surge as the delta variant spreads.
More than 611,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 57.6 percent of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
COVID-19 has infected more than 195 million people worldwide and killed over 4.1 million.
Just hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its policy on indoor mask use for vaccinated Americans, the agency sent out an alert to doctors, pressing them to step up vaccines.
The Health Alert Network Health Advisory reiterated that vaccine coverage needed to go up “to prevent surges in new infections that could increase COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality, overwhelm healthcare capacity, and widen existing COVID-19-related health disparities.”
As of Tuesday, 66.6 percent of Americans above the age of 12 have received one vaccine dose, however the rates are lower in several southern states including Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. Those states, the alert noted, have seen a major jump in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
“Unvaccinated persons account for the majority of new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths,” the CDC said in its alert.
Source- ABC
