The CDC classifies a community as having "substantial transmission" if there are 50 to 99 weekly cases per 100,000 residents or if the positivity rate is between 8.0% and 9.9%.
If your county falls into this category, you should wear a mask indoors, whether or not you are vaccinated. The CDC also advises on its website that "everyday activities should be limited to reduce spread and protect the health care system."
A county has "high transmission" if it has anything over 100 weekly cases per 100,000 residents, or 10% or greater test positivity rate in the last seven days. In that case, communities should implement universal masking indoors and consider additional "significant measures ... to limit contact between persons," according to the CDC's website.
Health experts say that the level of community transmission should not be the only factor to guide your decision on whether to wear a mask in public. There are other circumstances in which vaccinated people might want to mask up: for instance, if you live with unvaccinated children or have immunocompromised family members, or if you're going somewhere without good ventilation.
Walensky continues to emphasize the need for more people to get vaccinated, noting that the areas with the lowest vaccination rates are getting hit hardest by this recent wave. "With the delta variant," she said, "vaccinating more Americans now is more urgent than ever."
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