JUST IN: Updated CDC guidance will urge vaccinated people in certain areas of the country to resume wearing masks
People in areas with high or substantial Covid-19 transmission should resume wearing masks, the CDC is expected to say, according to sources familiar with the announcement. Nearly two-thirds of US counties have high or substantial transmission of Covid-19, according to CDC data; 46% of counties have high transmission and 17% have substantial transmission.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to announce the decision at a 3 p.m. ET briefing on Tuesday.
Two months ago, when the CDC updated mask guidance saying most who are fully vaccinated could go without masks indoors, the guidance moved so quickly that administration officials were informed less than a day before. This time, the process is moving in a more methodical way as they decide how to proceed.Read MoreWhite House officials have repeatedly said it would be up to the CDC whether to change official guidance and that they would follow the lead of health and medical experts.