The Centers for Disease Control is expected to announce revised mask guidance, recommending vaccinated individuals wear masks in some indoor settings, at a media briefing today at 3 p.m. The change would be the first since May, as new cases continue to increase due to the more transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus and vaccination rates plateau.
In addition to advising people to wear masks in higher transmission areas, the guidance is expected to recommend vulnerable populations such as young children and immunocompromised individuals to wear masks indoors in public spaces. The CDC is expected to recommend all students, faculty, staff and visitors to K-12 schools to wear masks indoors, as well.
A spokesperson for Elon University said the university continues to monitor the CDC’s guidance on mask wearing and recommendations for vaccinated individuals. The university will update its mask policy as needed to keep Elon aligned with the CDC policy on mask wearing.
In May, the university announced vaccinated individuals would no longer have to wear masks indoors or maintain physical distancing. The university also joined a growing number of colleges across the country to require students to be vaccinated for the fall semester.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 1,603 new cases were reported July 27, 2021 and 57% of adults are fully vaccinated in North Carolina.