Vaccinated people must wear masks again in the United States

To prevent the further spread of the Delta variant in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance, requiring vaccinated people to wear masks in certain situations. The recommendation urges fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors when in areas where COVID-19 transmission is ‘substantial’ or ‘high,’ which covers nearly two-thirds of the US population.

‘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,’ CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky told reporters on Tuesday.

Soon after the CDC’s announcement, the White House released a statement stating that President Joe Biden and White House officials will resume wearing masks indoors when traveling to areas of the country where Covid transmission rates are high.

‘I hope all Americans who live in the areas covered by the CDC guidelines will follow it; I certainly will when I travel to these areas,’ Biden said. Tuesday’s regulations mean that even people who have been completely inoculated will once again need to mask up in public indoor spaces in parts of the country where the virus is ascendant. Health officials now recommend universal masking regardless of vaccination status and community transmission of the virus in schools that plan to reopen this fall, as well as additional precautions for staff, students, and visitors. ‘They should, however, keep in mind that they will need to return to classroom learning.’

Two months ago, the CDC told fully vaccinated people that they no longer needed to wear masks in most settings, and the White House had pitched the lead up to the July 4 holiday as a ‘summer of freedom’ to celebrate progress made fighting the virus.