Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In A Red Zone? CDC Advises All To Mask Indoors, Despite Vaccine Status
CNBC: CDC Reverses Indoor Mask Policy, Saying Fully Vaccinated People And Kids Should Wear Them Indoors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in places with high Covid-19 transmission rates. The agency is also recommending kids wear masks in schools this fall. Federal health officials still believe fully vaccinated individuals represent a very small amount of transmission. Still, some vaccinated people could be carrying higher levels of the virus than previously understood and potentially transmit it to others. (Lovelace Jr., 7/27)
AP: CDC Changes Course On Indoor Masks In Some Parts Of The US
Biden dismissed concerns that the new masking guidance could invite confusion, saying Americans who remain unvaccinated are the ones who are “sowing enormous confusion.” “The more we learn about this virus and the delta variation, the more we have to be worried and concerned. And there’s only one thing we know for sure — if those other 100 million people got vaccinated, we’d be in a very different world,” he said. The White House quickly pivoted on its own masking guidance, asking all staff and reporters to wear masks indoors because the latest CDC data shows that Washington faces a substantial level of coronavirus transmission. (Stobbe, 7/27)
Politico: CDC Wants Vaccinated Americans To Wear Masks Indoors In Covid Hot Spots
"This weighs heavily on me," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Tuesday. "Not only are people tired, they are frustrated. We have mental health challenges in this country. We have a lot of sickness and death. Our health systems are being overrun. In the context of all that this, I know this is not welcome news. I just want to convey that this was not a decision that was taken lightly." Tuesday’s policy switch underscores the extent to which the Biden administration is increasingly worried about the highly transmissible Delta variant infecting the unvaccinated population across the country. It also points to a frustrating new reality for the White House — that the country needs to revert to wearing masks at a time when the U.S. was supposed to be returning to normal life. (Banco and Cancryn, 7/27)
USA Today: The CDC Is Recommending Masks For Vaccinated People In High Transmission Areas. What Does That Mean?
Should you wear a mask if you're fully vaccinated? If you're in an area with high COVID transmissibility, the CDC says yes. Here's what that means. (Santucci, 7/28)
Is Your County A Hot Spot? Check The CDC Map For The Latest Status
Also —
Bloomberg: White House Orders Staff To Wear Masks Indoors As Delta Covid Variant Spreads
The White House has told staff that they must again wear masks, a symbolic setback in the fight against Covid-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads. The decision came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tightened mask guidelines, advising people wear them indoors in public regardless of vaccination status in places where the virus is rapidly spreading. (Fabian and Epstein, 7/27)
The Hill: House To Resume Mask Mandate After New CDC Guidance
Masks will once again be universally required on the House side of the Capitol amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, the Capitol physician announced late Tuesday night. The resumption of the House mask mandate — just over a month after it was lifted — comes after new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier Tuesday recommending that vaccinated people should wear masks in high-risk areas. (Marcos, 7/27)
NBC News: Experts Back CDC Change On Masks As Delta Variant Spreads
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidance Tuesday, recommending that everyone, whether they are vaccinated or not, wear a mask indoors in places where the coronavirus is spreading widely. The change was met with relief from experts who said masking up again is essential to combat the highly contagious delta variant. "We know masks work, and they work against every variant that this virus has produced," said Ali Mokdad, a professor of global health at the University of Washington. "If we use them, they will save lives, save livelihoods and prevent us from shutting down our economy." (Chow, 7/27)
NPR: Indoor (And Outdoor) Masking Guidance In Light Of New CDC Recommendations
The CDC has reversed its position that vaccinated people no longer need masks and recommends masking up again in certain settings. Does that mean grocery stores? What about roller coasters? (Mulrooney Eldred, 7/27)
CNBC: Return-To-Office Plans In Limbo As CDC Recommends Indoor Masking Again
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended fully vaccinated people begin wearing a mask in public indoor settings again in places with “substantial and high” Covid-19 transmission rates. The updated guidance comes at time when Covid cases are rising again in all 50 states due to the highly contagious delta variant, and is a reversal of the CDC’s May relaxation of indoor masking guidelines for the fully vaccinated. (Liu, 7/27)
