Politics & Government
11 WI Counties Could Be Affected By CDC's New Mask Guidance
The CDC now recommends fully vaccinated people wear a mask indoors, though it's up to state and local governments to make that a policy.
ACROSS WISCONSIN — The nation's top health agency announced Tuesday that even fully vaccinated people are recommended to wear masks indoors in locations with "substantial" or "high" coronavirus transmission.
The new guidance was announced as the delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States, including in Wisconsin.
Eleven Wisconsin counties have either "substantial" or "high" transmission rates, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"Substantial" transmission areas have between 50-99.99 cases per 100,000 people in a week, and "high" transmission areas have more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in a week, according to the CDC.
These are the 11 Wisconsin counties with "substantial" or "high" transmission rates:
Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Milwaukee County
- Waukesha County
- Vernon County
- Adams County
- Buffalo County
- Pepin County
- Shawano County
- Price County
- Bayfield County
- Forest County
- Florence County
The federal agency can only make recommendations. The state Supreme Court struck down the statewide mask mandate in March, so it's up to local governments to decide whether to adopt new policies based on the recommendations.
As of Tuesday afternoon, it was unclear if any counties will adopt the new CDC mask guidance and issue mandates.
The delta variant is highly infectious and is spreading more quickly than any other variant of COVID-19 during this pandemic, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves, their family and their community from COVID-19 and the delta variant, the department said.
Fully vaccinated people who have been exposed to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be tested three to days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result, according to new CDC recommendations.
William Bornhoft, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.
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