The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to issue new guidance Tuesday afternoon for vaccinated people to begin wearing face masks when indoors in certain parts of the U.S.
The anticipated recommendation would revise a May guidance from the CDC that people fully vaccinated from COVID-19 do not need to wear masks indoors.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief COVID-19 medical adviser for President Joe Biden, said the CDC was reconsidering mask guidances for vaccinated citizens after a recent and severe uptick in infections in the U.S
“We’re going in the wrong direction,” he told CNN on Sunday while talking about the surge.
The CDC is expected to announce the new protocol at a news conference at 3 p.m. (EDT).
Check back with Newsweek for more updates.
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Some Vaccinated People Infected with Delta Could Be Contagious: CDC Director
While announcing updated guidelines for masks in indoor areas and K-12 schools, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky cited some rare cases in which people infected with the delta variant after vaccination could be contagious.
While the “vast majority of transmission” is occurring through unvaccinated people, the rare instances of contagious vaccinated people spurred the CDC’s decision to change the guidance, Walensky said.
CDC Officially Recommends Vaccinated People Wear Masks Indoors in Certain U.S. Areas
Rochelle P. Walensky, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirmed during a news conference Tuesday that the organization has updated its guidelines and now recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks in public, indoor areas. The recommendation applies to areas of the U.S. with high transmission rates.
Walensky also said that all people in K-12 schools are now recommended to wear masks, even when fully vaccinated.
CDC Also Expected to Recommend Everyone in K-12 Schools Wear Masks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to recommend that everyone in a K-12 school dons a mask even if they’re vaccinated, CNN reported, citing an unnamed administration health official.
The announcement is anticipated to come during the CDC’s 3 p.m. (EDT) news conference, when it is also expected to recommend vaccinated people begin wearing face masks when indoors in certain parts of the U.S.
