Timeline of CDC advice on masks during the COVID-19 pandemic

The history of mask requirements in the United States has seen many twists and turns since the early days of the pandemic, when the US Surgeon General urged Americans to “STOP BUYING MASKS!” ”

Since then, government and public health leaders have urged us to wear face masks even when walking around our neighborhoods alone, and told us to continue wearing them even after receiving the protection of highly effective vaccines.

It wasn’t until May that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told fully vaccinated Americans that they could be exempt from almost all mask requirements. The state of California followed suit with rules that took effect when the economy reopened on June 15.

Now, as the highly transmissible Delta variant causes an increase in coronavirus cases across the country, indoor mask warrants are back in LA County regardless of vaccination status, and the CDC has also put update its guidelines. On Tuesday, the agency reported that those vaccinated are resuming wearing masks indoors in parts of the United States where the virus is on the rise.

Here is a brief schedule of official rules and advice regarding face masks.

February 29, 2020

US Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams tweets that wearing a face mask will not prevent the public from contracting the novel coronavirus.

“Seriously folks – STOP BUYING MASKS! »He wrote in a tweet that was later deleted. “They are NOT effective in preventing the general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!

March 24, 2020

Even as the coronavirus spreads across the United States – shutting down businesses, sporting events, and schools – CDC advice on masking remain unequivocal: Healthy people who do not work in the health sector and do not care for an infected person at home no need to wear masks.

“Face masks can be rare and they should be reserved for caregivers,” the government agency said.

April 3, 2020

After insist for weeks that healthy people did not need to wear masks under most circumstances, federal health officials change their orientation in response to a growing body of evidence that people who don’t seem sick play a disproportionate role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Transmission from individuals without symptoms plays a larger role in the spread of the virus than previously thought,” President Trump said during the announcement of the new council in a Home briefing White. “So you don’t seem to have any symptoms and he’s still transferring. “

The new guidelines recommended masks for all people over the age of 2 who were in a public place, traveling or around other people in the same household who could be infected.

July 14, 2020

The CDC publishes study that finds masking is a “likely contributing factor” to preventing two coronavirus-positive employees at a Missouri barbershop from infecting one of the 139 customers they served.

“I think we’re very clear now,” says Dr Robert Redfield, director of the CDC. “Now is the time to wear a mask. “

He added that the United States could bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control in a month or two if every American wore a mask.

September 15, 2020

The CDC publishes color-coded guidelines to help local communities determine when it is safe to open schools for in-person learning. Even among schools with the lowest risk of community transmission, masking remains an important part of the CDC Guidelines for Safe Schools Open.

The agency recommends that students and teachers wear masks when possible. He also advises schools to spread out student desks, stagger their schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.

23 october 2020

Scientists report that if 95% of Americans wore face masks when they left their homes, they could save more than 100,000 lives – and possibly more than half a million – until the end of February.

“The potential benefit of increasing mask use over the coming fall and winter cannot be overstated,” wrote the team at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. ‘University of Washington.

January 20, 2021

On his first day as president, Joe Biden signs an executive order requiring masking and physical distancing in federal buildings, on federal lands, and by government contractors.

January 21, 2021

Biden signs 10 decrees aiming to revive its national COVID-19 strategy – including one that forces Americans to mask themselves when traveling. The new rule applies to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transport.

January 30, 2021

Building on Biden’s executive order, CDC issues 11-page executive order requiring air travelers and those who use public transportation such as buses and subways to wear face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19 .

the order refusing to wear a mask a violation of federal law, enforceable by the Transportation Security Administration and other federal, state and local authorities.

March 8, 2021

CDC publishes new guidelines allowing Americans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to remove their masks while visiting other people in small indoor gatherings. Social distancing is also not necessary, according to the guidelines.

“You can visit your grandparents if you have been vaccinated and they have been too,” says Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the CDC.

The agency still recommends that all people – vaccinated or not – remain masked when in public.

April 27, 2021

As coronavirus cases decline, CDC publishes new orientation saying that people do not need to wear masks outside when walking, cycling or running alone or with members of their household. This applies regardless of vaccination status.

Additionally, the agency says fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear masks outside at all, unless they are in a large crowd of strangers, such as a sporting event or concert in. outdoors.

The CDC recommends that unvaccinated people continue to wear masks at outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people.

May 13, 2021

As the United States continues to see dramatic improvements in the number of coronavirus cases, federal officials are announcing a drastic relaxation of face mask guidelines that allow fully vaccinated people to stop wearing masks in most places – whether outside or inside.

“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” Walensky said. “If you are fully immunized, you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic. “

Under federal guidelines, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people are still advised to wear masks in almost all indoor environments and most outdoor locations when interacting with people outside their homes who may not be vaccinated.

The agency also says people should rely on local guidelines. California, for example, is waiting until June 15 to lift masking requirements for those vaccinated in most public places.

July 27, 2021

With the highly transmissible Delta variant fueling a further rise in coronavirus cases and COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, the CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people return to wear masks indoors in parts of the United States where the coronavirus is on the rise.

Federal scientists cite new information about the ability of the Delta variant to spread among vaccinated people as the reason for the switch. As of July 19, the CDC had received reports of 5,914 fully vaccinated people who developed “breakthrough cases” of COVID-19 and were hospitalized or died. They represent less than 0.004% of the more than 161 million people who have been vaccinated in the United States

The new guidelines follow decisions by Los Angeles County and St. Louis to revert to indoor mask mandates.

The CDC also recommends that masks be worn indoors by all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of their immunization status. This aligns with California’s previously announced plan to require face masks for everyone on K-12 campuses.