Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Adds To Mask Muddle, Saying 'No Plans' To Change Rules For Schools
Fox News: CDC Says ‘No Plans To Update’ School Mask Guidance After Pediatrics Group Breaks From White House
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Fox News on Tuesday that the agency has "no plans to update" mask use recommendations. The comment comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci said earlier Tuesday the CDC was "carefully looking" at its guidance relating to mask use in schools after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) broke from federal health guidance, advising anyone above the age of 2 wear masks inside schools to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, "regardless of vaccination status." "CDC has no plans to update any guidance regarding masks," Kristen Nordlund, CDC spokeswoman, told Fox News. (Rivas, 7/20)
ABC News: Increasing Pressure On CDC To Revisit Guidance On Masks In Schools
President Joe Biden's top COVID officials are set to testify before Congress on Tuesday as guidance on masks is splintering at the local level -- with some cities and medical organizations recommending a return to universal mask wearing, despite federal guidance that vaccinated Americans can go without masks. Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief White House medical adviser, said Monday that it was "reasonable" for a leading group of pediatricians to push back against federal guidance that vaccinated Americans can go without masks. (Flaherty and Haslett, 7/20)
AP: Schools Confront More Polarization With Mask Rules For Fall
Students in Wichita, Kansas, public schools can ditch the masks when classes begin. Detroit public schools will probably require them unless everyone in a room is vaccinated. In Pittsburgh, masks will likely be required regardless of vaccination status. And in some states, schools cannot mandate face coverings under any circumstances. With COVID-19 cases soaring nationwide, school districts across the U.S. are yet again confronting the realities of a polarized country and the lingering pandemic as they navigate mask requirements, vaccine rules and social distancing requirements for the fast-approaching new school year. (Hollingsworth, Webber and Richmond, 7/21)
In other news about mask-wearing —
Los Angeles Times: With Delta Variant, More California Areas Urge Indoor Masks
Six more California counties are urging residents to wear masks in indoor public settings amid concerning upticks in coronavirus cases and continued circulation of the highly contagious Delta variant. The latest recommendations from Santa Barbara, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, Santa Cruz and Ventura raise to 17 the number of counties now asking even fully vaccinated individuals to wear face coverings as a precaution while inside places like grocery stores, movie theaters and retail outlets. (Money, 7/20)
AP: Vegas Employees To Get Coronavirus Mask Order, Not Tourists
Elected officials in tourism-dependent Las Vegas worried Tuesday about public health and the economic effects of a spike COVID-19 cases — particularly the highly contagious delta variant. But they decided not to impose a full mask mandate for everyone strolling the Strip and gathering in crowded spaces and casinos. (Ritter, 7/21)
NBC News: Popular Massachusetts Tourist Destination Issues Mask Advisory After 132 New Covid Cases
A popular Massachusetts tourist destination issued a mask advisory Monday after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases following the July 4 holiday weekend. As of Friday, 132 Covid cases that are associated with Provincetown have been reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, according to a joint release from the town's Board of Health and the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. It's unclear how many who tested positive were vaccinated. (Fieldstadt, 7/20)
ABC News: Mask Disputes Fuel Spike In Air Rage Incidents
On Tuesday, two federal U.S. agencies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) sounded the alarm on the increasingly unfriendly skies. The FAA announced nearly 100 more in-flight incidents with unruly passengers -- a week after it’s worst weekly report of unruly passengers this summer -- bringing this year's total to 3,509 reports. An overwhelming majority of these incidents, 2,605, involve passengers who refuse to comply with the federal mask mandate. (Kaji, 7/20)
