The CDC's updated recommendations come as a devastating fourth wave of infection is sweeping the nation. Cases are rising in every state, with hospitalizations surging in states with low vaccination rates, such as Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida.
While the majority of the outbreaks are happening among unvaccinated individuals, wearing a mask regardless of vaccination status can protect the entire community, Mokdad said. And while the CDC's guidance focused on areas where the virus is spreading widely, Mokdad urged people everywhere to take precautions.
"The whole country is on fire," he said. "Covid-19 is rising in every state. We're dealing with a stubborn, aggressive variant and we all need to be very careful."
The CDC's new recommendation comes less than three months after the agency said masks and social distancing are no longer necessary for people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The change in guidance was driven by the delta variant's higher transmissibility and new evidence from the CDC that in rare cases, fully vaccinated individuals who get infected with the variant can spread the virus just as easily as unvaccinated people."
