‘The CDC hasn’t changed’: Biden’s top health officials try to sell new masking guidance
Quint Forgey, Politico
Scientists say new data on the Delta variant has changed the agency’s calculus on mask-wearing among vaccinated Americans.
The C.D.C. now says fully vaccinated people should get tested after exposure even if they don’t show symptoms.
Emily Anthes, The New York Times
In addition to revising its mask guidance on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also quietly updated its testing recommendations for people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
CDC reversal on indoor masking prompts experts to ask, ‘Where’s the data?’
Joel Achenbach et al., The Washington Post
“They’re making a claim that people with delta who are vaccinated and unvaccinated have similar levels of viral load, but nobody knows what that means,” said Gregg Gonsalves, an associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health. “It’s meaningless unless we see the data.”
Another coronavirus variant has reached Florida. Here’s what you need to know.
Lateshia Beachum, The Washington Post
A coronavirus variant discovered in Colombia is showing up among patients in South Florida, increasing infections and putting health officials on alert as calls grow louder for unvaccinated individuals to get inoculated.
Citing New Data, Pfizer Outlines Case for Booster Shots
Carl Zimmer et al., The New York Times
Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine may become slightly weaker over time, the company reported. But experts said that most people won’t need boosters anytime soon.
Pfizer Executives Lay Out Plans for Covid Vaccine’s Next Phase
Riley Griffin, Bloomberg
Following Pfizer’s second-quarter earnings announcement Wednesday, Bloomberg spoke with Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla and Chief Scientific Officer Mikael Dolsten to get a sense of how the drug giant is navigating the ever-changing state of the pandemic.
Senate GOP steps up vaccine push amid lingering conservative skepticism
Burgess Everett, Politico
Top Senate Republicans are dramatically stepping up their pro-vaccine outreach as several of their home states lag behind national Covid inoculation rates and mask recommendations return in many areas.
Some Republicans Reject Revived Covid-19 Mask Rules in Congress
Siobhan Hughes, The Wall Street Journal
Several House Republicans flouted rules reimposing mask requirements on the House floor to stop the spread of Covid-19, with some GOP lawmakers angrily denouncing the new effort while congressional leaders traded insults.
England to Open Up to Vaccinated American Travelers
Benjamin Katz and Karina Shah, The Wall Street Journal
England is open to American visitors again. The government said it would allow U.S. citizens, and those from most of the European Union, to enter England without quarantine requirements from Monday if they can demonstrate proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19, hoping for an influx of late-summer tourists.
Google to Require Vaccinations for On-Campus Staff as Employers Rethink Return Plans
Tripp Mickle and Chip Cutter, The Wall Street Journal
Google will require all of its employees coming to campus to be vaccinated and delay its workforce’s return to the office until mid-October, joining a number of public and private enterprises taking new precautions as the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 sweeps the U.S.
Judge offers an alternative to community service sentences: covid-19 vaccination
Max Hauptman, The Washington Post
The judge began offering the alternative earlier this week, amid a surge in case numbers in Louisiana.