Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says mask mandates are on the table as Covid-19 rates climb around the country (Photo J. Scott Applewhite)
ASSOCIATED PRESSIt is much too soon to take a trip in the U.S. without packing a face mask. As the delta variant of the Covid-19 virus drives up case counts in every state, travelers — both vaccinated and unvaccinated — are encountering local mask mandates for indoor locations in Las Vegas, St. Louis and many other areas around the country.
Mask mandates may soon return on the national level, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly examining whether to reinstate mask guidance even for fully vaccinated people in public places.
Yesterday, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s Jake Tapper that bringing back mask mandates—even for vaccinated Americans—is “under active consideration.”
Tapper noted that CNN reported that top Biden administration officials are holding “preliminary conversations” on whether vaccinated people should be urged to wear masks again in public.
The Washington Post also reported that the Biden administration and the CDC are currently “debating whether they should urge vaccinated Americans to wear masks in more settings” and that those talks were in a “preliminary phase.”
Florida is the current epicenter of the latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the delta variant rampages through the Southeast and Midwest.
Brown School of Public HealthThese discussions are happening as the country is seeing more than 40,000 new cases of coronavirus infections a day, a 263% increase in just the past month.
Wearing face coverings can be a contentious issue in the states that would benefit the most from mask mandates, and they tend to be the same states where vaccination hesitancy is greatest.
In the five states with the highest rates of Covid infection, less than half the population is fully vaccinated.
Florida is far and away the epicenter of the latest wave of Covid-19, where less than half the state’s population is fully vaccinated. The Sunshine State is reporting 79 new daily cases of the disease per 100,000 people, according to data from the Brown School of Public Health. That is a whopping 339% higher than the national average of 18 new cases per day per 100,000 people.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s executive order remains in place banning local governments from requiring face masks, but many local officials have expressed alarm. Earlier this month, the mayor of Orange County, Florida — where Orlando and Walt Disney World are located — issued a “strong recommendation” for wearing face masks in crowded indoor places regardless of their vaccination status. And officials in Miami-Dade County are now asking all residents to wear masks when around large groups of people.
The rise in Covid-19 cases in Florida presents a dilemma for Covid-concerned cruisers, since the state is home to the three largest cruise ports in the United States. Thanks to DeSantis’s unpopular law banning so-called vaccine passports, cruise lines are in the unenviable position of being prohibited from requiring passengers sailing from Florida to show proof of their vaccination status.
Republican leaders in Arkansas have banned government entities from requiring face masks. Arkansas is logging an average of 60.5 new Covid-19 cases every day per 100,000 people. Only 36% of Arkansans are fully vaccinated.
With an average of 52 new daily Covid-19 cases per day per 100,000 people, Louisiana has the third-highest rate of virus spread in the country. Only 36.6% of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated.
Missouri is currently recording 39.3 new daily Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people. Only 40.8% of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated.
Rounding out the top five states, Oklahoma is tallying 36.9 new daily Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people. In the Sooner State, 39.9% of residents are fully vaccinated.
I watch trends in travel. Prior to working at Forbes, I was a longtime freelancer who contributed hundreds of articles to Conde Nast Traveler, CNN Travel, Travel +
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