[ad_1]
All counties in Illinois except one experience “substantial” or “high” community transmission of COVID-19, placing nearly the entire state in the category in which anyone over the age of 2 should resume wearing. ‘a mask inside, regardless of vaccination status, federal health officials say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidelines late last month to recommend that fully vaccinated people re-wear masks indoors in areas of the United States that experience “substantial” or “high transmission. Of COVID-19.
The new guidelines marked a reversal from previous recommendations that fully vaccinated people could remove masks in most settings.
So, in what areas is the CDC advising people to wear masks indoors? Agency points to its COVID-19 data tracker showing community transmission levels, along with other data, for every county in the United States
As of Saturday, 101 of 102 counties in Illinois were experiencing “substantial” or “high” levels of community transmission, triggering the recommendation to mask indoors, regardless of vaccine status.
The only county still at the “moderate” transmission level is Stark County, with 98 counties – including all counties in the Chicago area – experiencing “high” transmission and only three in the “substantial” transmission range: Putnam, Lee and Whiteside counties, all west of the Chicago area.
The agency is using two metrics to group U.S. counties into the four levels of community transmission: the number of new cases per 100,000 population and the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in the past week.
If a county has reported 50-100 cases per 100,000 population over a seven-day period or has an 8-10% positivity rate, it falls into the “substantial transmission” level, while those reporting 100 cases or more per 100,000 or have a positivity rate of at least 10% are labeled as “high transmission”. These are the two groups for which the CDC recommends wearing masks.
The CDC also said last week that fully vaccinated people “might also choose to mask themselves regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they or a member of their household are immunocompromised or at increased risk of serious illness, or if a member of their household is not vaccinated. “
The Illinois Department of Public Health said last month it “fully embraces” the updated CDC guidelines and is following the lead of federal health officials in recommending indoor masking in stores. K-12 schools universally among teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of immunization status.
Then, on August 4, Governor JB Pritzker announced a new mask mandate, requiring – rather than recommending – that all students, teachers and staff at K-12 schools wear masks indoors as authorities take steps to try to slow the spread of the more transmissible delta variant.
Pritzker said the new requirement will take effect immediately and will also apply to all students and coaches participating in indoor sports and other activities.
“As governor, it is my duty to say that we all need to take immediate and urgent action to slow the spread of the delta variant,” he said. “People are dying who don’t have to die.”
Pritzker added that the state has “limited time” to slow the spread of the delta variant.
State employees who work in congregational care facilities, veterans’ homes and correctional facilities will also need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the governor.
[ad_2]
Source link