VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Employees in Volusia County facilities will now be required to wear masks indoors once again regardless of vaccination status.
Following the updated mask guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks will be required in common areas and if social distancing of at least 6 feet cannot be maintained, according to a memo sent Wednesday to employees.
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“Unfortunately, all of the local indicators — including new cases, new hospitalizations and the positivity rate — are continuing to dramatically spike up,” George Recktenwald, county manager, said in a release. “And our local hospitals are at a red-alert level as the number of people hospitalized with COVID continues to increase.”
The CDC announced Tuesday that vaccinated individuals are recommended to wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges.
Florida has become an epicenter for COVID-19 and all of its counties are showing high community transmission, according to the COVID-19 county data from the CDC.
Citing new information about the variant’s ability to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status.
Following the new recommendation, Volusia County health officials encouraged the school district to follow the updated guideline despite its June vote to make masks optional for the upcoming school year.