Source: RT
“I am now much more comfortable [with] people seeing me indoors without a mask. Before the CDC made the recommendation change, I didn’t want to look like I was giving mixed signals,” Fauci told the hosts of Good Morning America on Tuesday, referring to CDC guidance issued last week which states that the fully vaccinated no longer need to wear face coverings or socially distance.
Being a fully vaccinated person, the chances of my getting infected in an indoor setting is extremely low and that’s the reason why in indoor settings now I feel comfortable about not wearing a mask because I’m fully vaccinated
The health official’s explanation appears to be at odds with previous comments Fauci made during a contentious exchange with Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) in March. At the time, Paul argued that those who had been vaccinated did not need to wear masks, suggesting that anyone doing otherwise was engaged in “theater.”
Fauci shot back that even those who have been immunized would be wise to mask up – and even to wear two masks – given that the coronavirus had mutated into several dangerous variants.
“When you talk about reinfection and you don’t keep in mind the concept of variants, that’s an entirely different ball game. That’s a good reason for a mask,” Fauci said. He cited a South African study, claiming it showed that the people who had been infected with the wild-type strain and then were exposed to a mutant variant lacked any immune protection.
“So when you talk about reinfection, make sure you’re talking about wild type. I agree with you, you would have protection from the wild type for at least six months if you’re infected, But we in our country now have variants that are circulating,” Fauci told Paul at the time.
Despite the CDC’s new guidance, earlier this week the Joe Biden administration clarified that the decision to wear a face covering is up to the individual, while a number of states have been hesitant to take up the new advice, including California, which will wait till June 15 to adopt the guidance, and Massachusetts, among others.
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