Under new federal guidelines, widespread masking should return to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The changes are intended to suppress the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
On July 27, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance regarding masks. It said that people, regardless of vaccination status, living in areas with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19 should return to wearing masks indoors in public places, including in schools.
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta currently has high transmission of COVID-19, according to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. High transmission is defined as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days and a test positivity rate of 10% or higher. YKHC said that it is reviewing the new CDC recommendations and expects to release its own updated guidance soon.
During a press briefing on July 27, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that the recommendations follow evidence suggesting that in rare occasions, vaccinated individuals could spread the delta variant to others.
“On that exception that you might have a vaccine breakthrough, we thought it was important for people to understand that they could pass the disease on to someone else. And that is important in the case, for example, of a vaccinated individual who might be going to visit an immunocompromised family member,” Walensky said.
Walensky emphasized that the vast majority of transmission is occurring through unvaccinated people and urged everyone to get vaccinated against the virus.
Editor's note: The original headline of this story was: CDC Guidance Says Y-K Delta Should Return To Wearing Masks Indoors, Regardless Of Vaccination Status