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White House weighs pushing masks as COVID cases increase
By Bradford Betz
Published July 21, 2021
The Biden administration is reportedly weighing whether to formally urge vaccinated Americans to once again mask up as the country experiences an increase in the number of COVID-19 delta variant cases.
White House aides are in talks with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about proposed messaging to the public, the Washington Post reported.
FILE: Signs with social distancing guidelines and face mask requirements are posted at an outdoor mall amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles. (AP)
People familiar with the discussions told the Post that the White House is hesitant to implement policies that would explicitly mandate people show proof of their vaccination status. One idea reportedly thrown around was to ask Americans to wear masks when vaccinated and unvaccinated people not to congregate in crowded places.
Fox News has reached out to the White House.
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The talks come as COVID-19 cases have nearly tripled in the U.S. in recent weeks, putting yet another strain on hospitals, and exhausting doctors.
The seven-day rolling average across the U.S. for daily new cases rose over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 on Tuesday, up from less than 13,700 on July 7, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Health officials are blaming the delta variant and slowing vaccination rates. Barely more than 56% of Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC.
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Of current COVID-19 cases, health officials say the delta variant accounts for an estimated 83% of cases in the U.S.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-weighs-pushing-masks-as-covid-cases-spike