CDC Says Some Vaccinated Americans Should Wear Masks Indoors Again

The CDC recommended Tuesday that fully vaccinated Americans in parts of the country with "substantial or high transmission" of COVID-19 should return to wearing masks indoors

Tuesday, July 27th 2021, 3:55 pm

By: CBS News, News 9


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that fully vaccinated Americans in parts of the country with "substantial or high transmission" of COVID-19 should return to wearing masks indoors, citing new data on the highly contagious Delta variant.

The CDC also said masks should be required of everyone inside K-12 schools while urging classrooms to return to full-time, in-person classes "with proper prevention strategies" in place.

The new guidance comes as a growing number of local and state health officials have already returned to mandating masks indoors, with cases of the virus surging among unvaccinated Americans. Some 63% of U.S. counties currently have a "high" or "substantial" spread of the virus, according to the CDC

Outside of the buses, planes, and other forms of public transportation governed by the Biden administration's mask mandate, the CDC's guidance is not binding on most local officials or private businesses and institutions. Some states had also banned local officials from levying their own mask mandates.

However, since celebrating getting closer to "independence from the virus" on July 4 at the White House, the Biden administration has faced growing calls to step up measures to curb the Delta variant as it drove a new surge of cases in some regions of the country. 

Some six in 10 American adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC. While the pace of Americans seeking out the shots remains at lows not seen since the earliest days of the vaccination rollout, the average of first doses has gradually increased over the past weeks, including in states with some of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases.

In recent weeks, a growing body of scientific research has pointed to the potential risks the Delta variant could cause, including cases of so-called "breakthrough" infections among fully vaccinated people.

One federally-funded study from researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found the Delta variant appeared to cause "a significantly higher rate of vaccine breakthrough cases" than other circulating mutant strains of the virus. Another pre-print backed by the National Institutes of Health, from scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine, turned up an outbreak of the virus among some fully vaccinated attendees to an outdoor wedding.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical adviser, had disclosed over the weekend that walking back the mask guidance for fully vaccinated Americans was "under active consideration," in an interview with CNN

The White House on Monday said current restrictions for international travelers would remain in place, citing concerns over the Delta variant and surges of cases among unvaccinated Americans. "The more transmissible Delta variant is spreading both here and around the world. Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated, and appear likely to continue in the weeks ahead," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday became the first federal agency to require employees to be vaccinated, with the VA secretary announcing all medical personnel will be required to be fully vaccinated in the next eight weeks.

In a statement Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said:

State Epidemiologist Jolianne Stone issued the following statement regarding the revised CDC guidance on mask-wearing for fully vaccinated individuals:
“The Oklahoma State Department of Health has and will continue to follow CDC guidance regarding COVID-19. With today’s revisions by the CDC, we want to reiterate the importance of taking personal responsibility for protection against COVID-19. Additionally, we continue to encourage those who are eligible to get vaccinated.” 
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