ToplineU.S. health officials have issued new guidance urging Americans to cover up indoors in areas with high coronavirus transmission. However, nearly 25% of Americans will not wear masks regularly, according to polling. Unvaccinated Americans are less likely to wear a mask despite rapid spread of the delta variants.On November 5, 2020, people wearing masks walked in downtown Los Angeles. AFP via Getty ImagesThe Key FactsAccording to a Morning Consult poll, 24% of Americans said they don't plan on wearing masks indoors. This is despite the new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 11% stated they would rarely wear masks and 13% said they will never wear them. The guidance has led to a slim majority of adults saying that they don't plan on wearing masks indoors. 38% said they would always wear a face mask, 20% said they will mask up occasionally, and 22% said that they wouldn't wear a face mask at all. This compares with 9% and 8% respectively of fully vaccinated people. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a new poll, found that 54% of 1,517 Americans polled said they would wear a mask in public. However, this includes only 37% of those unvaccinated and 62% of those who have been vaccinated. KFF conducted a poll between July 15 and 27, before the new CDC guidelines were announced. It found that unvaccinated adults were 10% less likely than vaccinated to wear masks in public places. 53% of vaccinated people said they wear masks in grocery shops, while 44% of those not vaccinated say the same. 47% of vaccinated people wear masks on public transport, while 37% of those who aren't vaccinated do so. Both polls found Republicans were less likely than Democrats to wear masks, with Morning Consult finding that only 10% of Democrats intend to wear masks very rarely or never, compared to 42% of Republicans.TangentMorning Consult poll results showed that 65% of respondents overall and 80% of those who were vaccinated largely blamed the unvaccinated for the recent surge in Covid-19 cases related to the delta variant. Only 36% of respondents who were not vaccinated blame people who haven't had the shot. However, this is in line with recent polling. They are more likely to blame the federal governments (50%), Democratic politicians (47%), state governments (46%), and local governments (43%).Important BackgroundIn May, the CDC stated that it did not believe that fully vaccinated Americans should wear masks indoors. But the agency changed its mind last week after new evidence showed that people who have been inoculated could transmit the delta variant to others. Due to the new guidance and the rash of Covid-19 cases, there has been a flurry of mask recommendations and mandates from localities, states, and businesses across the country. KFF and Morning Consult polls show that Americans who are not vaccinated are less likely than others to adhere to public health protocols such as social distancing or mask wearing. However, Covid-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe illness and death so public health officials warn those who aren't vaccinated are most at risk.What to WatchAlready, there are clashes over mask wear that are spreading across the country. This is especially true since many states have prohibited localities and school districts in some states from putting in place new mask mandates. Florida and Texas cities have already issued mask orders, despite the fact that there are no state laws prohibiting them. Missouri sued St. Louis for enacting a mask mandate. Arkansas parents have sued the state to permit school districts to implement mask orders. A school district in Phoenix required masks for 32,000 students, despite Arizona prohibiting districts from doing so.Continue readingOfficials from the Health Department want people to wear masks again. According to a Morning Consult, 2 out 5 adults say they will continue wearing masks.KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitoring - July 2021 (Kaiser Family Foundation).Arkansas Parents Sue the State for Ban on School Mask Mandates. Could other States Follow? (Forbes)New Orleans: The Newest City to Reinstate the Mask Mandate. See full list (Forbes).The Delta Variant of the Mask-wearing Plummets Especially among Unvaccinated, but Polls Find (Forbes).The majority of unvaccinated Americans don't feel responsible for the soaring number of covid cases. A poll suggests that this is what they blame (Forbes).Live updates and coverage of the Coronavirus
