[ad_1]
For weeks vaccinated Americans believed it was safe to forgo wearing masks indoors. Now, mask requirements are making a comeback.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that all Americans, regardless of immunization status, wear masks in indoor public places in areas affected by coronavirus outbreaks, a reversal of guidance it offered in may.
Where the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors
Guidance is based on the CDC’s assessment of the level of community transmission in each county.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention·Note: Community transmission level is based on CDC case data for the week ending August 5 and test positivity data for the week ending August 1.
About 2,800 counties in the United States are experiencing “substantial” or “high” transmission rates, according to the CDC, and the agency recommends that everyone in those areas wear masks in indoor public places. These designations, which are updated regularly, are based on a region’s per capita case rate or test positivity rate.
The guidance reflects the recent spate of coronavirus cases in many parts of the country, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant. Although the CDC has come under fire for its back and forth recommendations on masks, public health experts say the most recent change was needed.
“All of us, as public health professionals and scientists, are learning about this virus in real time,” said Rachel Graham, professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “These are things that need to be planned on a day-to-day basis. ”
Masks remain a polarizing symbol, and shifting federal guidelines have led some local leaders to introduce their own policies. While some governors are set to demand masks in their state again, many resist the idea of universal mandates for masks. And as students prepare to return to school, at least eight states have introduced legislation prohibiting school districts from requiring masks, against the advice of the CDC.
Mask policies by state
The New York Times follows state-level mask policies, including when residents are asked to follow current federal guidelines and when leaders reject those guidelines or warrants.
Hawaii |
Mandatory statewide |
80% |
(4 counties) |
Louisiana |
Mandatory statewide |
100% |
(64 counties) |
Washington DC |
Mandated |
100% |
(1 county) |
Nevada |
Mandated in some counties |
71% |
(12 counties) |
Arkansas |
Recommended statewide |
100% |
(75 counties) |
California |
Recommended statewide |
98% |
(57 counties) |
Connecticut |
Recommended statewide |
100% |
(8 counties) |
Idaho |
Recommended statewide |
89% |
(39 counties) |
Mississippi |
Recommended statewide |
100% |
(82 counties) |
New Jersey |
Recommended statewide |
100% |
(21 counties) |
New Mexico |
Recommended statewide |
88% |
(29 counties) |
new York |
Recommended statewide |
60% |
(37 counties) |
Oregon |
Recommended statewide |
97% |
(35 counties) |
Porto Rico |
Recommended statewide |
90% |
(70 counties) |
Illinois |
Recommended in some countries |
95% |
(97 counties) |
Indiana |
Recommended in some countries |
98% |
(90 counties) |
Kansas |
Recommended in some countries |
90% |
(94 counties) |
Kentucky |
Recommended in some countries |
98% |
(118 counties) |
Maine |
Recommended in some countries |
38% |
(6 counties) |
Michigan |
Recommended in some countries |
54% |
(45 counties) |
Minnesota |
Recommended in some countries |
82% |
(71 counties) |
North Carolina |
Recommended in some countries |
98% |
(98 counties) |
Virginia |
Recommended in some countries |
91% |
(121 counties) |
Washington |
Recommended in some countries |
97% |
(38 counties) |
Wyoming |
Recommended in some countries |
100% |
(23 counties) |
Alabama |
No mandate or recommendation |
100% |
(67 counties) |
Alaska |
No mandate or recommendation |
76% |
(22 counties) |
Colorado |
No mandate or recommendation |
83% |
(53 counties) |
Delaware |
No mandate or recommendation |
100% |
(3 counties) |
Maryland |
No mandate or recommendation |
71% |
(17 counties) |
Massachusetts |
No mandate or recommendation |
86% |
(12 counties) |
New Hampshire |
No mandate or recommendation |
90% |
(9 counties) |
Ohio |
No mandate or recommendation |
91% |
(80 counties) |
Oklahoma |
No mandate or recommendation |
97% |
(75 counties) |
Pennsylvania |
No mandate or recommendation |
63% |
(42 counties) |
Rhode Island |
No mandate or recommendation |
100% |
(5 counties) |
Utah |
No mandate or recommendation |
93% |
(27 counties) |
Vermont |
No mandate or recommendation |
43% |
(6 counties) |
West Virginia |
No mandate or recommendation |
87% |
(48 counties) |
Wisconsin |
No mandate or recommendation |
88% |
(63 counties) |
Arizona |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
100% |
(15 counties) |
Florida |
Rejection or prohibition of mask mandates |
100% |
(67 counties) |
Georgia |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
100% |
(159 counties) |
Iowa |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
90% |
(89 counties) |
Missouri |
Rejection or prohibition of mask mandates |
99% |
(114 counties) |
Montana |
Rejection or prohibition of mask mandates |
73% |
(41 counties) |
Nebraska |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
54% |
(50 counties) |
North Dakota |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
45% |
(24 counties) |
Caroline from the south |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
100% |
(46 counties) |
South Dakota |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
56% |
(37 counties) |
Tennessee |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
99% |
(94 counties) |
Texas |
Rejection or prohibition of mask warrants |
93% |
(237 counties) |
Note: States determine county-level masking policies based on CDC data on county transmission levels, with the exception of Wyoming, which uses its own index for counties. Local orders may differ from state requirements.
Some public health experts have repeatedly recommended that the vaccinated and the unvaccinated wear masks.
“Personally, I would have recommended it, anyway,” Dr. Graham said. “Mainly because the full vaccination rate is not as high as we expected. ”
And although the vaccines offered in the United States are very effective in preventing serious illnesses from Covid-19, some experts point to a growing number of reports of people vaccinated testing positive for the coronavirus, and reports of children, previously considered to be. weak. – group at risk, who also contract the virus.
“No vaccine is 100% effective, and we are seeing it,” said Dr. Joshua Liao, a doctor of internal medicine and professor at the University of Washington, who recommends wearing the mask indoors. “If you wait for the science to be perfect with the coronavirus, then you are lagging behind. ”
“I think going back and forth creates a certain fatigue,” he added. “But I think there’s a bigger problem, in the foundation of public health, where it’s not just in our hands, but it’s in the hands of the other.”
[ad_2]
Source link