The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is hinting at changing its face mask recommendations, but there hasn’t been a clear announcement yet.
Yes, but: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that CDC wants to give people a break from wearing their face masks, according to CNBC.
What she said: “We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer. We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” she said.
Details: Currently, the CDC recommends that people wear masks in indoor locations regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
- Several states — specifically those who have had strict COVID-19 restrictions throughout the pandemic — have loosened their COVID-19 restrictions and face mask rules, as I reported for the Deseret News.
- Also, Disneyland updated its mask recommendations to say vaccinated people don’t need to wear face masks indoors.
What’s next: Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he expects to see the CDC change its recommendations soon.
- “That’s probably where they should have been all along. I think they’re going to make that adaptation because there clearly are parts of the country where prevalence is low enough now and heading in a positive direction that they can start lifting this mitigation,” he said.