Top Biden administration officials are weighing whether to recommend that states and communities with low vaccination rates reimpose mask mandates as the Delta variant surges
But officials are split on the merits of issuing new federal guidelines, with some fearing they will be politicized and embolden new Republican attacks. This camp believes recommending proof of vaccination would raise the specter of “vaccine passports” — an increasingly potent conservative talking point — and alienate and stigmatize portions of the country where individuals have chosen not to get the shot. And they fear calls to reimpose mask mandates will be futile.
Some of the medical officials on the White House Covid team who’ve been pushing for measures like vaccine verification believe they could provide a jolt to the nation’s lagging immunization effort and, at the very least, press state and local officials to consider reverting to some of the strict public health measures that helped slow the spread of Covid-19 earlier in the pandemic.
The White House declined to comment about the meeting. The Washington Post was first to report last week that the administration was actively considering again recommending Americans wear masks.
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