CDC Reinstating Mask Guidelines Due to New DELTA Covid-19 Variant

New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines have been posted.

Now the CDC is is saying that fully vaccinated people can still get the infection and possibly spread it to others, the CDC said on Twitter, though vaccinated people make up only a “small amount of total transmission.” What they meant by "small amount" remains undefined.

Fully vaccinated persons should wear a face mask indoors if they’re in a part of the country with a “substantial or high” amount of coronavirus transmission... This is specifically “to maximize protection from the delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others,” the CDC says.

CDC Guidelines 

For more information about COVID-19 transmission in your area of the country, check the CDC’s tracker here. The new guidelines affect people in more than two-thirds of the country.

They also state that ”if you have a weakened immune system, are at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 complications due to their age or an underlying illness, or if someone in their household “has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated.” Take into consideration also vaccinated persons who live with children who are too young to be vaccinated.

New guidelines were also updated to make it clear that vaccinated people should get tested three to five days after exposure to someone with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection—whether or not they have symptoms. If you think you may have been exposed, geet re-tested and wear a mask for 14 days following.

Last May, the CDC said that 'fully vaccinated' people didn’t need to wear masks indoors at all, in contrast with the World Health Organization, which stated that fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks—continue to social distance and keep hands clean and sanitized as the new variants emerge.

Various Variants

The delta variant now accounts for more than 83% of current COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and is thought to be highly transmissible from person to person. 

The alpha, beta, gamma and delta variants are all considered variants of concern by the WHO. The WHO classified lambda last month as a global "variant of interest" — a step below variant of concern

Breakthrough infections in vaccinated people appear to be rare, but even fully vaccinated people should continue to mask up.

Though the U.S. economy seems to have taken a turn for the better, the pandemic is still spiraling globally. Nearby, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has reinstated the mask mandate for indoor public spaces.