WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a reversal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to recommend that people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
That’s according to multiple reports, including The Washington Post and The Associated Press, who say the new recommendations are set to be announced Tuesday.
CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky is scheduled to provide an update to the media on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic at about 3 p.m. ET.
The reported new recommendations come as parts of the country see COVID-19 cases climb due in large part to the rise in the more transmissible delta variant.
In the past few days, CNN reports that top health officials have met to go over new evidence regarding the transmissibility of the delta variant and breakthrough cases.
This mask update comes more than two months after the CDC announced that vaccinated Americans didn’t need to wear face coverings indoors or outdoors because of the protection from the vaccines. At that time, the delta variant hadn’t taken hold of the nation and cases were steadily dropping.