People in parts of the U.S. The number of COVID-19 infections surges The country’s public health agency recommends that even if they have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, they should wear masks indoors.

Cite new information about capabilities Delta variant In order to spread among vaccinated people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommended on Tuesday that all teachers, faculty, staff, students and school visitors wear indoor masks, regardless of the status of the vaccination.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a press conference in the afternoon: “In areas with large numbers and high transmission, CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people wear masks in public and indoor environments. To help prevent the spread of Delta variants and help protect others.”

There are an average of more than 57,000 coronavirus cases and 24,000 hospitalizations in the United States every day, and public health officials have warned for weeks that COVID-19 infections are increasing, especially in areas with low vaccination rates in the country.

Varensky said that although vaccinated Americans represent “very small transmission”-and emphasized that the vast majority of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths occur in unvaccinated people-vaccinated people still Ability to spread the virus to others.

“With the Delta variant, vaccinating more Americans is now more urgent than ever,” she added.

The number of infections is rising

The recent increase in cases follows the relaxation of masks and other public health restrictions, as well as restaurants, bars and other establishments Reopen In many parts of the country, national vaccination rates have risen sharply.

Before the CDC’s announcement, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed that the agency will revise its guidelines based on changing data and changing viruses. Psaki told reporters: “Our goal is to save their lives, and our responsibility and the responsibility of public health officials is to continue to provide the latest guidance… against the evolving virus.”

The CDC’s new recommendations are non-binding, and many Americans, especially in states favored by the Republican Party, may choose not to follow these recommendations.

The CDC has recommended that people wear masks for most of the pandemic when they cannot maintain a distance of 6 feet (1.8 meters) from others.

In April, as vaccination rates rose sharply, the agency relaxed its guidelines for wearing masks outdoors, stating that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to cover their faces unless they are among a large group of strangers. In May, the guidelines for fully vaccinated people were further relaxed, allowing them to no longer wear masks in outdoor crowds and most indoor environments.

The guidelines still require masks to be worn in crowded indoor environments, such as buses, airplanes, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters, but it clears the way for the reopening of workplaces and other places.

Subsequent CDC guidelines say that people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks at summer camps or schools.

According to CDC data, the coronavirus vaccine is widely available in the United States, 60% of adults have been fully vaccinated, and 69% of adults have received at least one dose dataBut there are still millions of people who are not vaccinated-the recent increase in cases is particularly evident in US states with low vaccination rates, such as Florida.

‘Wrong direction’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to US President Joe Biden, warn Last weekend, the United States was “going in the wrong direction” on the coronavirus-he urged people to accept the jab.

“If you look at the changes in the new infection curve,” Fauci said in an interview with CNN’s State of the Union program on Sunday, emphasizing that most infected people are Americans who have not been vaccinated.

“It is one of the people who are not vaccinated because 50% of our countries are not fully vaccinated. This is a problem-especially when you have a variant like Delta, it has the ability to be very effective and very easy The extraordinary characteristics that spread from person to person. People,” he said.

With the increase in cases, some cities and states have re-implemented the regulations on wearing masks.

In St. Louis, Missouri, a county-wide mask enforcement order came into effect on Monday, requiring most people, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear masks indoors and when taking public transportation.

Los Angeles, California, also recently reinstated mask requirements, and senior public health officials in King County, Washington (including Seattle) last week asked everyone to wear masks in indoor public places—even if they were vaccinated.

There are also increasing calls for health workers and others to be vaccinated.

“Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our healthcare organizations and society advocate that all healthcare and long-term care employers require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” a group of 50 members including the American Medical Association Multiple healthcare organizations said Monday.

On the same day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stated that it would require its doctors and other medical staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming the first federal agency to enforce such tasks.