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canyonwalkerWhen I wrote about resurgent Coronavirus infection rates yesterday I wasn't the only one. The CDC published new guidance, too, in light of increase risks of infection. They now recommend that everyone, including those vaccinated, wear masks indoors in places with widespread levels of transmission.
What counts as "widespread"? According to the CDC it's any place with a substantial or high level of transmission. That's more than two-thirds of the country as seen in this graphic created by CNBC from CDC data:
![Covid hotspots in the US. CNBC graphic from CDC data [27 Jul 2021].](https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/canyonwalker/33413618/755545/755545_original.png "Covid hotspots in the US. CNBC graphic from CDC data [27 Jul 2021].")
Link to full CNBC article with graphic [retrieved 28 Jul 2021].
The CDC stopped short of making mask wearing more than a recommendation. Of course, they never have gone further than that. The federal government continues to kick that can down to the states to handle. The states, in turn, are kicking the can down to localities... except for a few states which are outlawing local masking requirements. ...And those states include some of the worst infected!
Consider for a moment what red means in the map above. A rate of 100+ new cases per 100k residents over the past week means 16/day per 100k. 16/day is higher than we had all last Spring and most of last Summer— back when the need for masking, social distancing, and preventive closures was taken the most seriously. Now the rate is higher but most people have stopped giving a fuck.
What counts as "widespread"? According to the CDC it's any place with a substantial or high level of transmission. That's more than two-thirds of the country as seen in this graphic created by CNBC from CDC data:
Link to full CNBC article with graphic [retrieved 28 Jul 2021].
The CDC stopped short of making mask wearing more than a recommendation. Of course, they never have gone further than that. The federal government continues to kick that can down to the states to handle. The states, in turn, are kicking the can down to localities... except for a few states which are outlawing local masking requirements. ...And those states include some of the worst infected!
Consider for a moment what red means in the map above. A rate of 100+ new cases per 100k residents over the past week means 16/day per 100k. 16/day is higher than we had all last Spring and most of last Summer— back when the need for masking, social distancing, and preventive closures was taken the most seriously. Now the rate is higher but most people have stopped giving a fuck.
