Reports: New CDC outdoor mask guidance may be announced Tuesday
Apr 27, 2021 05:16AM ● By Editor
By Travis Pittman of KARE 11 News - April 26, 2021
President Joe Biden is expected to announce that federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the use of face masks outdoors will be relaxed, according to multiple reports. The announcement could come as early as Tuesday.
NBC News reports the guidance could provide one set of recommendations for people who have been fully vaccinated and another for those who have not received a vaccine. CNN, based on its sources, reported similar expectations of the announcement. The exact guidance was not yet clear as of Monday night.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, hinted at updated guidance Sunday.
"I think it's pretty common sense now that outdoor risk is really, really quite low, particularly — I mean, if you are a vaccinated person, wearing a mask outdoors, I mean, obviously, the risk is minuscule," Fauci told ABC's "This Week," according to The Hill.
The CDC guidelines as of Monday state, "Masks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with people who live in your household." But it goes on to say that there may be city, county or state ordinances that require mask use even outdoors.
In Kentucky, for example, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday that people will no longer be required to wear masks at outdoor events with fewer than 1,000 people. And in Oregon, the state health authority announced Monday it would allow people participating in non-contact sports to not wear a mask if they are distanced 6 feet.
When he took office, Biden asked Americans to spend the first 100 days of his administration masking up. That 100 days expires this week.
The CDC said Monday more than 42% of Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and nearly 29% were fully vaccinated.
To watch the original report and see related stories, follow this link to the KARE 11 News website. https://www.kare11.com/article/news/nation-world/covid-cdc-mask-guidance/507-dbfc5eb6-b262-4825-a1a7...
