CDC: Wear Masks ‘Anytime You Are Indoors or Outdoors with People You Don’t Live With’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending Americans wear masks “anytime” they are indoors or outdoors with people they do not live with, according to a CDC article last updated February 10.

The article titled “Types of Masks” examines the “many” types of masks Americans can wear, highlighting cloth masks, disposable masks, and KN95 masks, specifically.

Under the section on cloth masks, the CDC recommends that people select a covering that has “multiple layers of tightly woven” fabric and a nose wire, giving similar recommendations for disposable masks. Under both, the CDC recommends that people wear the masks “anytime you are indoors or outdoors with people you don’t live with”:

The CDC is not loosening recommendations on universal masking, nor are officials such as Dr. Anthony Fauci. In the same article, the CDC also suggests wearing “two masks” as a means to achieve both a better fit and further protection, recommending a “disposable mask underneath AND cloth mask on top.” That coincides with the CDC article last updated February 10 titled “Improve How Your Mask Protects You,” which recommends people “add Layers of material” to existing face coverings.

“Wear one disposable mask underneath a cloth mask,” the CDC states. “The second mask should push the edges of the inner mask against your face.” It also released the early summary of a study showing that a double mask blocked 92.5 percent of cough particles.

The updated guidances come as America experiences an average daily decrease in new coronavirus cases. The U.S. reported 97,309 new cases of the virus on Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total to 27,127,858 since the start of the pandemic.

A February 10 CDC update also states that Americans who have been fully vaccinated and meet other criteria do not have to quarantine if exposed to the Wuhan virus.