Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky held a briefing with reporters Tuesday afternoon and answered questions about the federal health agency's latest reversal on mask wearing. Because children 12 and under are ineligible for the vaccine, the CDC recommends they be masked indoors.
"To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission," the CDC released on their website Tuesday. "Wearing a mask is most important if you have a weakened immune system or if, because of your age or an underlying medical condition, you are at increased risk for severe disease, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated. If this applies to you or your household, you might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission in your area."
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: The CDC recommends that everyone in K-12 schools wear a mask indoors, including teachers, staff, students, and visitors—regardless of vaccination status...The CDC recommends community leaders encourage vaccination and universal masking." pic.twitter.com/xpZUaTYT2B
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 27, 2021
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: "This 'new science' is worrisome, and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations." pic.twitter.com/8Uuy5zIQzv
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 27, 2021
President Joe Biden is backing the guidance and calling the masking of children, who aren't at risk of serious illness from the the disease, simply "inconvenient." He’s also insulting those who haven’t been vaccinated and calling them stupid.
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"Today’s announcement by the CDC—that new research and concerns about the Delta variant leads CDC to recommend a return to masking in parts of the country—is another step on our journey to defeating this virus. I hope all Americans who live in the areas covered by the CDC guidance will follow it; I certainly will when I travel to these areas," Biden released in a statement. "Today, the CDC also reaffirmed that we can safely reopen schools this fall—full time. Masking students is inconvenient, I know, but will allow them to learn and be with their classmates with the best available protection. Most importantly, today’s announcement also makes clear that the most important protection we have against the Delta variant is to get vaccinated. Although most U.S. adults are vaccinated, too many are not. While we have seen an increase in vaccinations in recent days, we still need to do better."
REPORTER: "Will you require all federal employees to get vaccinated?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 27, 2021
BIDEN: "That's under consideration right now, but if you're not vaccinated you're not nearly as smart as I thought you were." pic.twitter.com/gfw7y8i3wq
"On Thursday, I will lay out the next steps in our effort to get more Americans vaccinated. Vaccinations are free, safe, and effective to every American. They’ve been available to every adult in this country for more than three months—at locations within 5 miles of 90% of the US population," he continued. "By following the science, and by doing our part by getting vaccinated, America can beat COVID. In the meantime, more vaccinations and mask wearing in the areas most impacted by the Delta variant will enable us to avoid the kind of lockdowns, shutdowns, school closures, and disruptions we faced in 2020. Unlike 2020, we have both the scientific knowledge and the tools to prevent the spread of this disease. We are not going back to that."
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