A kind Coronavirus disease The surge in parts of the United States triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant and vaccine hesitation has led to new mask requirements and some people are deeply confused about which guidelines to follow.
In Los Angeles County, leaders have restored the rules for wearing masks indoors, even for people who are fully vaccinated. Officials in Houston and New Orleans also raised the coronavirus alert level this week and told people to wear masks.
However, in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday that the school there will not require children to wear masks this fall. He believes that “we need our children to breathe.” A few hours later, the White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters: “If I were a parent in Florida, then I would be very worried.”
U.S. officials hope that new mask recommendations will promote vaccination, but WHO urges caution
“Everyone is confused about what they should do,” said Daniel Blackhill, 20, of Santa Monica, California, who said he was infected twice last year. “I don’t understand why we suddenly have to wear masks again.”
The county sheriff in Los Angeles County said his department would not implement this measure.
City, county, state, and federal government officials made conflicting recommendations as hospital officials in the worst-hit states with low vaccination rates were issuing alarms that their systems were overwhelmed.
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, the 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases in the United States has increased by 53% from the previous week. Delta variants account for more than 80% of new cases nationwide.
Most of the guidelines are the same as the political line in the early stages of the pandemic. Leaders in states dominated by the Republican Party generally avoid wearing masks, while Democrats insist on wearing them.
Schools are a special tension point in the country. Children under the age of 12 are still not eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, and many parents believe that masks are the best defense.
However, as some regions return to the classroom in just a few weeks, there are widespread disagreements over whether children should wear masks in school.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released its latest recommendations for schools this week, including that everyone over 2 years old should wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that unvaccinated children should wear masks in school.
But the CDC said on Thursday that it will not change the mask guidance for schools, including that only people over 2 years of age who have not been vaccinated need to wear masks. The CDC relaxed its guidelines in May so that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most public places.
In Princeton, New Jersey, Ximena Skovron said she found the dust on the mask and the instructions were actually confusing.
“I was vaccinated and the rules seemed to have changed,” she said. “But it’s also inconsistent. There are two grocery stores in town: one needs a mask, the other doesn’t.”
Skovron said she believes that states should not re-implement the rules for wearing masks.
“Vaccines are easy to get. The ability to protect yourself is there,” she said. “If you refuse, you should take the risk instead of imposing it on other people in society.”
Her 6-year-old daughter will be in the first grade this fall. Skovron said she hopes that the school does not need to wear masks, citing the extremely low incidence of COVID-19 among young children.
“It seems too much for children to wear masks,” she said.
But Melissa Riccobono, 44, from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, said she supports wearing masks and believes that regulations should be made when and where necessary.
“If you choose not to get vaccinated, it is your choice, I agree-but wearing a mask is not your choice,” she said.
— Additional reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas and Carl O’Donnell in Washington
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