But the agency’s advice is likely to disappoint many people who hoped that the increasing rate of vaccinations would immediately ease some general restrictions on vaccinations.
The document contains a series of scenarios that Americans can consider, including where they socialize, with whom they can socialize, and what they should consider when making plans. It will also include a section on travel.
Anthony Fauci, president Joe Biden’s chief medical officer, as well as CDC director dr. Rochelle Walensky, gave an example of the guidance at a press conference with reporters on Monday. Fauci said while the guidelines were still being finalized, Americans who were “double-vaccinated” could get inside the house safely.
“I use the example of a girl coming in from outside the city who has been double-vaccinated, and a husband and wife who have been double-vaccinated, and maybe a neighbor you know has been double-vaccinated,” Fauci said. ‘Small gatherings in the house of people, I think you can clearly feel that the risk – the relative risk is so low that you do not have to wear a mask, and that you can have a good social gathering in the house. ‘
The CDC director has publicly warned Americans in the press over the past few weeks that the emergence of new variants and increased distribution could threaten the country’s progress over the past month in reducing hospitalizations, cases and deaths. On Monday, Walensky again cautiously insisted.
‘I really want to keep an eye on the fact that … things are increasing slightly now. The goal is not to make a kind of open journey, but to open all things, because … we increase the vaccination. The goal in the first 100 days has always been to make sure we are in a place to be outside of this pandemic, ‘Walensky said. “At 70,000 cases a day, we are not currently in that place.”
The new CDC guidelines come two weeks after the agency announced its recommendations for reopening the school. Since then, the agency has come under criticism from school unions that the guidelines did not go far enough to ensure teachers receive vaccinations before reopening. Republicans, on the other hand, say the CDC recommendations place too many restrictions on schools and that it limits their ability to stay open quickly.
The vaccination guidelines could provoke a similar debate. With more than 76 million doses administered and infection rates declining, states across the country are considering promoting reopening plans. In Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker announced Monday that restaurants in the state no longer have to meet capacity constraints. Several states, including Montana and Iowa, have lifted their mask mandates.
But Walensky is determined that the country still adheres to the guidelines for public health, and that reopening will only get bigger if the transmission rates in the community fall. The CDC’s new guidelines will reflect sentiment, officials said.
Also, Fauci says he does not want to move too fast after reopening, pointing to the summer boom and the move by some states to open restaurants and bars.
“It’s a big lesson. In my mind, which took place earlier in the summer, when we said, ‘Okay, let’s open up the country and open up the economy,’ and we gave port guidelines … there were two things that were problematic, “Fauci said. told POLITICO.
‘The first was that the baseline level of daily infections at that time was really high. So you started in a difficult situation, “he said. The second problematic thing is that many of the states have not complied with the reopening guidelines. The reason I’m going back to the story is that we need to get the number of cases very low … and that more and more people are being vaccinated, that you need to gradually withdraw in a very measured way. You can not make it like a light switch. ‘
The administration of Biden has increased its efforts to distribute vaccines over the past few weeks, promising that doses will increase in the coming months. Health officials expect the vaccine supply to expand significantly with the authorization of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine last weekend. The company is expanding its production capacity through a new partnership with Merck, with which President Biden will speak on Tuesday afternoon.