Fauci predicts changes in COVID mask mandates.
Anthony Fauci: No Federal Mask Mandates, but Recommendations Possible
Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said Sunday that while federal mandates for masks are unlikely, recommendations may be given in certain circumstances.
“I can see that if we get a significant uptick in cases that you may see the recommendation that masks be used under certain circumstances and indoor crowded settings, but I don’t see there’d be certainly not federal mandates,” he told ABC News on Sunday morning, adding he would be ”extremely surprised.”
“There may be local organizations that may require masks, but I think what we’re gonna see mostly are, if the cases go up that there might be recommendations, not mandates. There’s a big difference there,” Dr. Fauci continued.
Mask Efficacy and Conflicting Studies
The ABC host Jonathan Karl questioned Dr. Fauci about the effectiveness of masks, citing new studies suggesting that masking doesn’t contain the virus. In response, Dr. Fauci addressed the issue of misunderstood studies, including one published by Cochrane Library.
In the Cochrane Library study, researchers found that “wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference to the outcome of influenza‐like illness (ILI)/COVID-19 like illness compared to not wearing masks.” However, a subsequent statement by Cochrane Library clarified that the results were inconclusive and did not prove that “masks don’t work.”
Contrary to these findings, there have been hundreds of studies since 2020 suggesting that masks do little to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Despite this, Dr. Fauci and other federal officials have consistently emphasized the effectiveness of masks.
In the Sunday interview, Dr. Fauci reiterated his belief in the efficacy of masks, stating that there are numerous studies showing that masks do work.
Recent Mask Mandates
While federal mandates may not be implemented, several schools, colleges, businesses, hospitals, and local governments have chosen to reimplement mask mandates in response to rising COVID-19 cases.
For example, a school in Montgomery County, Maryland, reinstated a mask mandate for kindergarteners after three students tested positive for COVID-19. Similarly, a school district in Alabama mandated masks due to an increase in cases in the area.
Additionally, a judge in Dallas County, Alabama, announced a mask mandate for county buildings open to the public, citing a rise in COVID-19 cases nationally and locally.
parents arrive masked for the first day of the school year at Grant Elementary School in Los Angeles on Aug. 16, 2021.”/>While federal mandates may not be on the horizon, the decision to implement mask mandates remains in the hands of local organizations and governments.
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