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The Biden administration is reportedly considering urging vaccinated Americans to wear masks again in more settings, amid a nationwide spike in Delta variant COVID-19 cases.
Top White House aides are in talks with officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has abandoned their mandate to mask people vaccinated, but are now considering whether to update its guidelines, The Washington Post reported, citing a Biden aide and health official.
One idea being considered would be asking everyone to mask themselves when vaccinated and unvaccinated people mix in public places or indoors, such as in malls or movie theaters, two people familiar with them told the newspaper. conversations.
White House officials have so far been reluctant to impose warrants that would explicitly require Americans to show proof of their immunization status, a source told the outlet, who stressed the talks were preliminary and could also involve new messages.
Officials also said any new official direction would have to come from the CDC, as the White House has taken a hands-off approach with the agency to allow scientists to work without interference.
“At this time, we have no plans to change our masking guidelines,” CDC spokesman Jason McDonald told CNN.
The talks are taking place as the United States sees more than 40,000 new cases of coronavirus per day, a peak from the low of around 11,000 cases per day last month, according to the Washington Post. The most infectious Delta strain has been linked to the outbreak.
In addition, the vaccination rate continues to slow, with around 500,000 people per day now receiving the vaccine, according to the journal’s vaccine tracker.
“In the White House, we follow the advice and guidance of medical and health experts,” Kevin Munoz, deputy press secretary of the White House, told the newspaper.
“Public health advice is set by the CDC, and they continue to recommend that fully vaccinated people not wear a mask. If you are not vaccinated you should wear a mask, ”he added.
Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territory Health Officials, spoke this week with CDC and state officials about the matter, the newspaper reported.
“It’s fair to say they are reconsidering everything. I think it’s all on the table, ”he told the outlet, including whether to revisit recommendations on wearing masks and social distancing.
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