WASHINGTON Masks are back. Seventy-five day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people who have been vaccinated no longer need to cover their faces, the agency reversed its course and said that the Delta variant's rise necessitates that masking be reinstated.In areas of high and substantial transmission, CDC recommends that fully vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors to prevent spread of the Delta variant.Walensky's comments were accompanied by new guidance from the CDC that stated that masking should not be stopped until community transmission is low and vaccination coverage is high. The CDC defines high transmission as more than 100 cases per 100,000. Substantial transmission is defined as between 50 and 99 cases per 100,000. (Community transmission can also calculated using the percentage of positive coronavirus diagnostic tests.Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 1918, masking has been politicized. This trend continued on Tuesday. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) welcomed the new guidance with just two words: Hell no.The complex task of possibly returning to the precautions that were taken weeks ago as the nation seemed to be recovering from the pandemic will be faced by elected and institutional leaders.Last Friday, a poster was displayed at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. (Star Max/IPx via AP)Parents are already anxious about the return to remote instruction, making schooling a particularly sensitive area. Walensky, who advocated in-person education since her tenure at CDC, stated that masking should be mandatory in K-12 schools regardless of vaccination status.This guidance may help educators feel more comfortable returning to the classroom. However, some conservative governors have passed measures that prevent school districts from mandating masks.Unvaccinated persons should continue to follow the same guidelines as before: wear masks. Walensky, as she did in the past put pressure on those who were not vaccinated to get shots. This is because they are much more vulnerable to the coronavirus that fully vaccinated people. Walensky and other public health officials are increasingly calling the current situation a pandemic among the unvaccinated.Continue the storyWalensky earlier this month revealed that 99.5 percent of COVID-19 deaths in June were due to unvaccinated persons. While the Delta variant is more easily transmissible than other variants, it is still not more fatal. Walensky stated that everyone should continue to be vaccinated. Even with Delta, getting vaccinated is a way to avoid severe illness, hospitalizations, and even death.According to the CDC, 48.9 percent of Americans had been vaccinated as of July 23. Most epidemiologists agree that this is not enough to prevent community transmission. However, a series of public campaigns and incentives have failed to convince vaccine-sceptile Americans to get vaccinated.Masks are still required in stores in Brooklyn, N.Y. Only 54% of New Yorkers have been vaccinated. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images).Since April 1, when 3 million people were being vaccinated daily, the numbers have dropped sharply. Today, the daily number of people vaccinated is less than 500,000, which gives the Delta variant plenty of opportunity to spread, especially in low-vaccination areas. Forty percent of all new cases were reported last week in Florida, Missouri, and Texas.Walensky acknowledged the emerging research that showed people infected by the Delta variant tends to shed more virus particles than people infected from other variants. Even if they are not vaccinated, the Delta variant can still be transmitted to others. Even though transmission from unvaccinated persons to vaccinated individuals is unlikely, it could be a significant danger in areas with low vaccination.Walensky stated Tuesday that this new science is alarming and warrants an update of our recommendations. This is a burden on me," she said later in the briefing. She acknowledged that people are exhausted and frustrated.This new direction is a setback for a country that was on track to return to normal. This normal seems further away than it did in May when the masks were removed and the coronavirus seemed to be retreating.____Yahoo News has more information:
