Mask guidance unchanged as Delta variant sweeps U.S.
As the Delta variant of COVID-19 sweeps through the United States, President Joe Biden said Thursday the administration would "follow the science" when it comes to changing guidance on masks.
His comments coincided with reports that officials were discussing whether to shift CDC guidance issued in May, which said fully vaccinated people would no longer need masks in most public spaces.
And on Thursday Biden shifted the conversation back to vaccination - emphasizing that the new cases surging across the U.S. were largely unvaccinated.
"We follow the science. What's happening now is all the major scientific operations in this country - a 25 person group - have put together- are looking at all the possibilities of what's happening now. We have a pandemic among the non-vaccinated - those who are not vaccinated."
CDC director Rochelle Walensky said earlier on Thursday the U.S. was at "another pivotal moment" in its fight against the coronavirus, but did not mention any changing guidance on masks.
Walensky said the seven-day average of new cases in the U.S. surged 53% over the past week, and that some hospitals across the country were already nearing full capacity.
The rise in cases is largely concentrated in regions with lower vaccination rates.
Florida, Texas and Missouri account for 40% of all new cases nationwide, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the CDC is also looking into the immunity of fully vaccinated people to determine whether additional booster shots of the vaccine may be needed.
