Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Advises Masks In Substantial- And High-Risk Counties — That's 8 In 10
Fox News: CDC Mask Recommendations Blanket 83% Of US Counties
Over 80% of U.S. counties are experiencing substantial or high COVID-19 spread, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said during a White House briefing. The vast majority of counties thereby meet the threshold for federal health guidance advising fully vaccinated populations to wear masks in public indoor places. "Across the board we are seeing increases in cases and hospitalizations in all age groups," Walensky said. "Those at highest risk remain people who have not yet been vaccinated." (Rivas, 8/5)
ABC News: Only 2 States Don't Have High Or Substantial Community Transmission
The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads. More than 615,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. (Shapiro and Pereira, 8/6)
Also —
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore To Reinstate Indoor Mask Requirement Monday Amid ‘Substantial’ COVID Transmission
Residents and visitors to Baltimore will have to mask up again while indoors amid an increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, city officials announced Thursday. The mask requirement is effective Monday at 9 a.m., Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. It will apply to all indoor spaces in the city, public and private. (Opilo and Miller, 8/5)
AP: Lamont Allows Local Leaders To Mandate Indoor Mask-Wearing
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday signed an executive order that allows municipal leaders to enact mask mandates for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people while inside public places. This latest order allows municipal leaders to move beyond Lamont’s current edict, which requires only unvaccinated people to wear masks while inside public places. It also requires everyone to wear them in specific settings, such as health care facilities, prisons, day care sites and public and private transit. (Haigh and Eaton-Robb, 8/6)
The Washington Post: Indoor Restaurant Dining Amid The Delta Variant: What You Should Know
You might be thinking about making reservations at a restaurant this weekend, but before you smash the “confirm” button on your favorite app, you could be having second — or eighth — thoughts. News about the delta variant of the coronavirus, “breakthrough infections” among vaccinated people and changing guidelines on masking are adding levels of uncertainty that we once assumed were behind us. As Americans again grapple with the question of whether they should dine out, public health experts and epidemiologists agree on one thing: There is no such thing as zero risk. There are only degrees of risk, no matter your vaccination status or the damage the delta variant has done to your community. (Heil and Carman, 8/5)
