Top Biden Health Officials Issue New COVID-19 Warning, Urge Mask-Wearing

Top Biden administration officials said that one-third of Americans live in communities experiencing rising levels of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and urged them to resume wearing masks. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that Americans living in counties considered to have high levels of Covid-19 in the community should wear masks in public indoor settings. Americans who live in counties with medium levels of Covid-19 should avoid crowds and wear a mask. She wrote, “As of May 19th, over 45% of the U.S. population is in an area with a medium or high COVID-19 Community Level.”

Top Biden administration officials warned on Wednesday (May 18) that one-third of Americans live in communities experiencing rising levels of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and urged them to resume taking personal protection measures, including wearing masks.

The increase in new infections—nearing 100,000 a day—comes as the nation heads into Memorial Day weekend with its large gatherings and travel. That case count is almost certainly an undercount, officials said, given the widespread use of at-home tests for which results are often not reported to health officials.

“As we’re currently seeing a steady rise of cases in parts of the country, we encourage everyone to use the menu of tools we have today to prevent further infection and severe disease, including wearing a mask, getting tested, accessing treatments early if infected and getting vaccinated or boosted,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

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