What will the CDC’s new mask recommendations for vaccinated people mean for NC?
Gov. Roy Cooper has called a press conference Thursday with members of the Coronavirus Task Force, the day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance on mask wearing.
The CDC now recommends that people wear masks in indoor public places in areas of “substantial” or “high” transmission, even if they’re vaccinated. The federal agency also is recommending universal mask wearing in schools for teachers, students and visitors, even if they’re vaccinated.
The CDC’s move comes as the country experiences yet another surge in coronavirus cases, in part because of the large percentage of unvaccinated people throughout the country and the circulation of the highly transmissible COVID-19 delta variant.
In a news conference Tuesday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cited new data showing vaccinated individuals infected with the delta variant could spread the virus to others — which is not believed to have occurred in other strains — as the reason behind the change.
“This new science is worrisome,” Walensky said, “and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations.”
North Carolina reported for the 16th consecutive day Sunday an increase in hospitalizations, which health officials have attributed to the delta variant.
The CDC’s reversal of its earlier mask guidance and North Carolina public health officials’ likely adoption of that change signals somewhat of a step backward in the state and country’s fight to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. It also shows the realized consequences of such a large chunk of the population being unvaccinated.
How many adults are vaccinated for COVID-19?
Around 69% of adults have received at least one vaccination nationwide, and in North Carolina, just 60% of adults are fully vaccinated.
“Most all of the people getting sick and dying now are unvaccinated,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper spokesperson Ford Porter said Tuesday morning in an emailed statement to The News & Observer. “The Governor and state health officials will review changes to CDC guidance and he strongly encourages schools and businesses to enact important safety precautions and unvaccinated people to wear masks until they get their shots.”
The North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday afternoon, before the CDC’s announcement, that it had not yet received details on the CDC’s recommendations, according to a statement to The News & Observer.
“We will evaluate any changes to CDC guidance when we receive it,” state health department spokesperson Catie Armstrong said.
The state health department has been quick to incorporate the CDC’s past COVID-19 recommendations into state guidance and orders.
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This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 3:15 PM.
