CDC Revives Mask Recommendation for Vaccinated Individuals... Biden Reviews Vaccine Mandate for Government Employees (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Joe Biden said he is considering mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for federal employees. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has strengthened indoor mask mandates. As the Delta variant spreads, the U.S. government is also stepping up its response.

On the 27th (local time), President Biden responded to a reporter's question about whether vaccination would be mandatory for federal employees by saying, "We are reviewing it."

This is interpreted as a sign that the entire federal government agencies will soon require vaccinations, following the day before when the Department of Veterans Affairs mandated vaccinations for its internal medical staff.

The U.S. federal government expanded remote work after the COVID-19 outbreak but has been promoting office work as vaccinations spread. However, with the recent expansion of the Delta variant and a slowdown in vaccination rates, the possibility of a new pandemic wave is being forecasted.

President Biden also expressed support for the CDC's strengthened mask guidelines.

In a statement released that day, President Biden said, "All Americans should follow the CDC's announcement recommending mask-wearing again in some areas. I will also follow the guidelines when visiting those areas."

On the same day, the CDC recommended that even those fully vaccinated wear masks indoors in 'hotspot' areas where COVID-19 infections are increasing. CNN reported that two-thirds of all U.S. counties fall under this measure.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky explained the necessity of this measure, saying, "We have seen scientific data showing that the recent Delta variant behaves differently from past variants." She emphasized that this decision was "not made lightly."

On the same day, former CDC Director Tom Frieden said in an interview with CNN, "If the trend of COVID-19 spread in the U.S. is similar to that in the U.K., we could see up to 200,000 new daily cases."

According to Johns Hopkins University data, the number of new COVID-19 infections recorded on the 26th reached 89,000, a 70% increase compared to 52,000 on the 19th, a week earlier.

The U.S. daily new COVID-19 cases reached 110,000 on the 23rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.