Fauci and CDC may back renewed mask mandates amid delta variant
The nation’s top infectious disease doctor may recommend a return to mask-wearing even for those who are fully vaccinated
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are weighing revising their COVID-19 guidelines to recommend that even fully vaccinated individuals wear masks in public.
Fauci, the nation’s top government infectious disease official, told CNN’s “State of the Union” TV show that he’s taken part in conversations about altering the guidelines, something he described as being “under active consideration.”
He noted that some local areas where infection rates are surging are already urging individuals to wear masks in public regardless of their vaccination status. Fauci said those local rules are not incompatible with the CDC’s recommendation that the vaccinated don’t need to wear masks in public.
As reported by theGrio, the delta variant is threatening to derail coronavirus recovery efforts. Black people, in particular, are being urged to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to existing health disparities.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Healthcare (MLKCH), one of Los Angeles’ leading medical institutions, released data on July 19 via Facebook showing that Black Americans are being hit harder by the virus than other communities and encouraged all unvaccinated individuals to visit their local clinic.
Per their findings, Black Americans account for 51% of all new COVID-19 cases and the delta variant has made up 51% of new cases in LA County in the past eight weeks. 42% of all new cases have been from members of Latinx/Hispanic communities.
Their data also shows a rapid increase in delta variant cases since May. According to their research, 38% of all new cases in the state of California resulted from the delta variant in June, a large jump from just 5.6% of new cases in May.
Dr. Elaine Batchlor, president and CEO of MLKCH said it is more important now than ever to get vaccinated, especially within the Black community.
“If you’ve been waiting to get your COVID vaccine, now is the time to stop waiting and do it. COVID vaccines are powerful weapons to protect yourself and prevent the continued spread of COVID in our community, including the delta variant,” Batchlor said.
“The delta variant is spreading quickly and can cause more severe illness. Unfortunately, the Black community is lagging behind in COVID vaccination and as a result, is experiencing higher rates of infection and hospitalization. Let’s not allow this terrible disease to decimate our community again,” she added.
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Additional reporting by Jaelen Ogadhoh
The post Fauci and CDC may back renewed mask mandates amid delta variant appeared first on TheGrio.
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