Counties with significant Covid-19 infections are home to over 73 million Americans. Experts believe it's time to reset and put masks back on.

 

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With the extremely dangerous Delta strain spreading, especially among the unvaccinated, it may be time to "reset" pandemic response and for much of the population to put their masks back on, according to an expert.

Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Jim Acosta on Tuesday, "We are at a completely different stage in the epidemic than we were a month ago." "As a result, we should follow LA County's lead and state that indoor mask regulations should still apply if there are areas where vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals mingle."

Wen, a CNN medical commentator, believes that masks should be worn inside in public on two occasions: when everyone is vaccinated and has produced documentation, and when there is a very high level of community immunization.

Mask regulations would be ideal, said Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, while leaders progress toward means of verifying vaccination status to improve vaccination rates.

According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 22% of the US population, or almost 73 million individuals, reside in a county with "high" Covid-19 transmission. According to the CDC, just 48.7% of the entire US population is completely vaccinated against the virus, considerably less than the 70 to 85 percent that health experts believe is needed to halt or stop the spread.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, infections are increasing in 47 states due to poor vaccination rates, with the seven-day average of new cases being at least 10% higher than the week before. On Monday, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra approved an extension of Covid-19's public health emergency designation for another 90 days, citing the pandemic's particularly concerning effects in several areas.

State authorities have cautioned that the recent increase in cases may continue to put strain on Mississippi's health-care system.

"We're in for a difficult few weeks because Delta is hitting us hard," said State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs on Tuesday. "Over the next month or two, we're going to witness people die for no cause."

 

 

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Since late June, the number of children infected with Covid-19 has nearly doubled.

Children, many of whom are not yet eligible for vaccination, are suffering the effects of the virus as it spreads among unprotected adults.

"It doesn't appear like this virus is specifically targeting children," Dr. Peter Hotez, professor and dean of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN's Erin Burnett. "It's simply that there are so many individuals who aren't immunized who are getting Delta that it's catching up with children."

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 23,000 children were infected with Covid-19 last week, nearly twice the number recorded at the end of June. Children account for almost 16% of all cases recorded each week.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky pushed back on assertions that youngsters are unaffected by Covid-19, despite the fact that they are at a lower risk of severe disease than older individuals.

"One thing I'd want to point out about the children is that I believe we get into the trap of assuming that just 400 of the 600,000 fatalities from COVID-19 were in children," Walensky said. "Death is not something that is intended to happen to children. As a result, 400 is a significant number for the respiratory season."

Vaccinations are now only available to 12-year-olds, however research is ongoing to give protection to younger youngsters.

 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has stated that data on Covid-19 vaccinations in children under the age of 12 is "quite likely" to be available by early winter.

Fauci said he wouldn't be shocked if schools explored incorporating Covid-19 vaccinations as a mandatory immunization once they're ready.

He believes school Covid-19 vaccines will not be necessary if the pandemic is fully squashed and goes away with little activity. However, if coronavirus continues to be an issue this year and next year, "it very well could be necessary," Fauci said on CBS This Morning Tuesday.

  

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Vaccinations are becoming mandatory in the workplace.

 

Local vaccine requirements, according to many experts, may be an essential method for increasing immunization rates and bringing the virus under control.

According to Mayor Bill de Blasio's press secretary, Bill Neidhardt, staff in New York City hospitals and health clinics would be forced to either be vaccinated or take weekly Covid-19 tests beginning in August.

The program includes eleven public hospitals.

Additionally, employees at Banner Health, Arizona's largest private employer, must get vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to maintain their employment.

"With a few exceptions, all team members must be completely vaccinated by November 1," the firm stated in a statement on Tuesday.

The rule was prompted by the development of the Delta variety, as well as the necessity to prepare for the forthcoming flu season, according to Banner Health. Details on how employees can request an exception from the rule will be provided later, according to the firm.

In a written statement, President and CEO Peter Fine stated, "We are taking this action to decrease danger for our patients, their families, visitors, and each other." "Safety is a major priority for us, and the COVID vaccination requirement reflects that."

 

Banner Health employs around 52,000 employees across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming, according to the company.

Experts believe that once the vaccinations receive full FDA approval, such tactics will become increasingly prevalent.

Despite the vaccination drive, according to an Axios-Ipsos survey released Tuesday, the majority of unvaccinated Americans indicated they are not at all inclined to become vaccinated, despite outreach attempts.