Washington - The contentious debate surrounding the mask mandate has reemerged within the United States, as the polarizing measure has been reintroduced in various places, including businesses, universities, workplaces, and schools. This resurgence is driven by the sudden and unforeseen surge in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new EG.5 variant.
Several institutions, such as Kaiser Permanente in California, Rutgers University in New Jersey, Morris Brown College in Georgia, Atlanta College, and Lionsgate Film Studio in Los Angeles, among others, have reinstated mask mandates for students, staff, and crew as part of their "COVID-19 countermeasure" efforts. Kaiser released a statement on Friday, clarifying their move to reintroduce a mask mandate in order to safeguard the health of patients, staff, and the community in the Santa Rosa Service Area.
In Syracuse, NY, Upstate Medical hospitals have also mandated mask usage for all staff due to the increasing numbers of COVID-associated hospitalizations. Dr. Stephen Thomas, Upstate's director of global health, expressed concern about the rising cases and hospitalizations while emphasizing their ability to handle the patient load.
Georgia is grappling with a significant surge of around 30% in novel coronavirus cases, as reported by the CDC's recent data. The emergence of new COVID-19 variants, EG.5 and BA.2.86, has triggered heightened concern among health experts and has contributed to increased hospital admissions.
Despite the rising cases and hospitalizations, the CDC has clarified that there are no plans to reintroduce mask mandates during the fall. Instead, the CDC is focused on the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine booster starting from September 12, pending FDA approval. The CDC's vaccine advisory panel is expediting the development of this booster shot, aiming to coincide its release with the peak of the season. Dr. Nirav Shah, CDC's principal deputy director, emphasized the strategy of releasing the booster vaccine at an optimal time to maximize its effectiveness.
The FDA is collaborating with vaccine manufacturers to ensure the safety and efficacy of the updated vaccines, according to an FDA official. The CDC's vaccine committee, ACIP, will distribute the booster shots once FDA authorization is secured.