CDC director says agency will update mask guidelines ‘based on the data and the science’

February 17, 2022 Amber Coakley US 0

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 30: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky speaks to the press after visiting the Hynes Convention Center FEMA Mass Vaccination Site on March 30, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Walensky recently said she had a sense of "impending doom" as the rate of coronavirus infection has recently been rising across the U.S. (Photo by Erin Clark-Pool/Getty Images)

File – CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky speaks to the press after visiting the Hynes Convention Center FEMA Mass Vaccination Site on March 30, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Erin Clark-Pool/Getty Images)

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UPDATED 12:10 PM PT – Thursday, February 17, 2022

The Center for Disease Control claims any COVID-19 guideline chances will be based on science and data. On Wednesday, the director of the national public health agency, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said the CDC is considering a change to its mask guidance in the coming weeks. She citied a recent decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The Biden administration officials remarks come as many states have already lifted mandatory face mask mandates. Despite recent developments, Dr. Walensky is still urging Americans to wear mask while insisting it’s very important.

“We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,” stated the CDC director. “If and when we update our guidance, we will communicate that clearly and it will be based on the data and the science.”

.@CDCgov provides public health recommendations to help inform community-level guidance based on the risk at the local level. This guidance helps individuals know what they need to do to stay safe and protect others.

Latest data in your community: https://t.co/8pXKfUuagw pic.twitter.com/tcdMFbD9GW

— Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) February 16, 2022

“However, it’s also important to remember, regardless of the level of disease burden in your community, there are still very important times to continue to wear your mask,” she continued. “If you are symptomatic or feeling unwell you should wear a mask. If you’re in the 10 days after a COVID diagnosis, you should wear a mask.”

Dr. Walensky said the agencies goal is to get to a point where COVID-19 won’t be a constant crisis, rather something they can prevent, protect against and treat.