WASHINGTON — With COVID-19 cases rising nationwide and the Delta variant becoming the prominent strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that some citizens wear masks indoors again, regardless of vaccination status.
The CDC's new mask recommendation is urging vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in areas that have substantial or high community transmission of COVID-19.
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Areas where there are more than 50 cases per 100,000 people, over the course of 7 days, are considered to have "substantial transmission" of COVID-19; Regions with more than 100 cases per 100,000 over 7 days are classified as "high transmission."
You can see the CDC's full county spread map here.
Here's a list of DMV counties that fall under the CDC's recommended mask-wearing category:
D.C.
- District: Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that everyone ages 2 and older must wear masks indoors starting Saturday.
Virginia
- Alexandria City
- Arlington County
- Culpeper County
- Fauquier County
- Frederick County
- Loudoun County
- Orange County (high)
- Page County (high)
- Prince William County
- Rappahannock County
- Spotsylvania County (high)
- Stafford County
- Warren County (high)
West Virginia
- Berkley County
- Morgan County (high)
Most of Maryland remains in the "moderate" range, save for Charles County, St. Mary's County, Wicomico County and Cecil County.
D.C.'s Health Department released the following statement on their reaction to the CDC's reversed course on mask-wearing:
“DC Health is reviewing the updated CDC guidance related to mask-wearing. Similar to trends across the nation, the District of Columbia has experienced a four-fold increase in its daily case rate since the beginning of July. DC’s transmission increase is driven primarily by unvaccinated individuals. We know that COVID-19 vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community. COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective in preventing COVID-19 disease, hospitalizations, and death. We continue to learn about new variants, and these insights may require us to revisit other protective measures. Wearing a mask in indoor public settings provides an additional layer of protection for those who are fully vaccinated—and continues to be one of the key ways to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, namely young children. If you are eligible to be vaccinated, we strongly encourage you to do so immediately to minimize the risk of disease, hospitalization, or death.”