CDC eases COVID mask rules for most U.S. regions
Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani discusses the CDC's new guidelines for COVID-19 mask-wearing.
Video Transcript
EMILY MCCORMICK: We want to turn over to Yahoo Finance's own Anjalee Khemlani now for some breaking news on the CDC's mask guidelines. Anjalee, break down this news for us.
ANJALEE KHEMLANI: Thanks, Emily. So we know that the CDC was anticipated to roll out new masking guidance, and they have done so now. And it will impact basically all indoor public spaces, as well as schools. The CDC saying that this impacts about 70% of the US population or about 55% of counties. It's also important to note that the definitions of what low, medium, and high transmission has changed. And that is really the focus of where masking will take place.
So for example, low areas now will be those that have limited impact on health care systems and low levels of severe disease, medium somewhere in the middle of that, and high with strains on health care systems, as well as high levels of severe disease. And what that does is really relay the map of current transmission in the US. The CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, noting that a new high transmission is going to be basically about 200 per 100,000 cases, up from 100 per. And so that's setting a different metric really for what high transmission consists of.
We know that, for example, when to mask now is specifically laid out. According to CDC's new guidelines, if you're in a low area of transmission, you don't necessarily need to mask. If you're in a medium area, ask your health care provider. And this really speaks to those that are immunocompromised or have other disabilities and really need that attention. And when in a high area of transmission, masking indoors in public places and schools is necessary.
The CDC director noting that this comes at a time, of course, as we're coming off that Omicron wave, but we do not know what the future holds, saying specifically on this call earlier today, quote, "None of us know what the future may hold for us and for this virus. We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when our levels are low, and then have the ability to reach for them again, should things get worse." Back to you.
EMILY MCCORMICK: All right, Yahoo Finance's own Anjalee Khemlani, thank you so much for bringing us that breaking news.
