The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently announced that fully vaccinated people should not have to wear masks while in public.
I happen to share the view of NNU President Jean Ross. She has spoken out against the guidelines stating that:
“If the CDC had fully recognized the science on how this deadly virus is transmitted, this new guidance would never have been issued.”
As president of the largest U.S. union of registered nurses, Ross has some backing behind her.
In fact, the union has come together and called on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) on infectious diseases “without delay.”
The National Nurses United Executive Director Bonnie Castillo released an official statement condemning the recommendation that vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks.
“This newest CDC guidance is not based on science, does not protect public health, and threatens the lives of patients, nurses, and other frontline workers across the country,” Castillo said.
I think we all share the view that now is not the time to relax protective measures. We are at a stage of the pandemic where the hard work of the last 12 months both on the frontlines and in laboratories across the world is leading to a “light at the end of the tunnel” scenario.
Relaxing important measures such as mask-wearing in public puts out completely the wrong message.
As Castillo states:
“We are outraged that the CDC has done just that while we are still in the midst of the deadliest pandemic in a century.”
Biden and the administration were somewhat elated by the news, however.
“Today is a great day for America in our long battle with the coronavirus,” Biden said during a press conference shortly after the CDC announcement. “Just a few hours ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the CDC — announced that they are no longer recommending that fully vaccinated people need to wear masks. This recommendation holds true whether you are inside or outside.”
Masks in Schools
Despite the CDC’s view of vaccinated individuals and mask-wearing, masks in schools are set to remain mandatory.
The CDC has announced that when schools open in fall 2021, students from kindergarten through 12th grade will still need to wear masks. This is because the demographic in question will not have been vaccinated at that stage.
[Note: The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has now been approved for children, ages 12 and older, however the rollout time on this is unknown)Students and teachers will need to maintain 6 feet of social distancing, and masks should also be worn on school buses.
