Delta variant is prompting some officials to rethink Covid-19 measures

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Tue, 2021-06-29 09:50 — mike kraft

Delta variant is forcing officials to rethink Covid-19 measures, even for the vaccinated The more dangerous and more transmissible Delta variant has spread to nearly every state in the US, feeding health experts' concern over potential Covid-19 spikes in the fall. Madeline Holcombe, CNN CNN

(CNN) The more dangerous and more transmissible Delta variant has spread to nearly every state in the US, feeding health experts' concern over potential Covid-19 spikes in the fall.

The variant was first identified in India and is now considered a variant of concern by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meaning scientists believe it can spread more easily or cause more severe disease.

he Delta variant now accounts for about 1 in every 5 new coronavirus infections in the US, the CDC has said. And with more than half of the population still not fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, health experts and officials worry that regions with low amounts of virus protection could see surges in the fall and winter.

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS that in terms of Delta spread, the US is about a month or two behind the UK -- a country that has been dealing with high numbers of cases despite relatively high vaccination rates. For those such countries, the World Health Organization advised last week that even the fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks.

Already in Los Angeles County, the pace of this variant's spread has motivated officials to reinstate mask guidance for public indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

Calling it a "precautionary measure," the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the voluntary mask guidance Monday, saying it was necessary until health officials can "better understand how and to who the Delta variant is spreading."

Experts have said that evidence points to vaccines like those from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech providing high amounts of protection against the variant, but LA Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said it is not clear what the future of the variant will be as it becomes more prevalent.

But not all local leaders are reinstating preventative guidance at this time.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced Monday that masks will not be mandatory in the state's school buildings.

With more than two months until schools open, Murphy noted these rules could change depending on how the virus spreads and what the CDC decides.

ALSO SEE: Delta variant prompts a return to masks indoors in L.A. --Los Angeles Times

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