What The CDC Mask Update Means For Northeast Ohioans Who Are Vaccinated

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed its recommendation for vaccinated people. The CDC now suggests everyone should wear masks in public indoor spaces in communities with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission. 

Currently, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain and Summit counties are all labeled as moderate transmission by the CDC, but it's only a matter of time before the spread increases to substantial, said Cleveland Clinic infectious disease specialist Dr. Kristin Englund.

“Northeast Ohio has done well in general, but unless you’re planning on staying within your very small community and knowing exactly what’s going on in your community, higher numbers are unfortunately coming,” Englund said.

Many people are not planning to stay within very small bubbles, which is why Englund recommends wearing a mask in public.

Cuyahoga County and many of the nearby counties are, however, seeing slower spread due to higher vaccination rates, she said.

“In Northeast Ohio… folks have been quite receptive to getting the vaccine, and that’s undoubtedly helped us to be able to remain in a moderate level at this time,” she said.

Parts of the country that have substantial and high transmission rates are often the places where vaccination rates are lower, she said.

Cuyahoga County Board of Health officials were unavailable for an interview, but a spokesperson said they anticipate providing an update regarding masking and other mitigation strategies soon. 

Some other Northeast Ohio counties, Ashland, Mahoning, and Trumbull, are already at substantial transmission, which means the CDC is recommending vaccinated people start wearing masks in those areas. 

The higher rates of viral transmission are due in part to a more contagious mutation of the virus, called the delta variant. Many health experts, including Englund, are concerned the virus will continue to mutate if there are large numbers of unvaccinated people and that there may come a day when COVID-19 vaccinations can no longer protect against new mutations of the virus.

“Unfortunately, this virus has shown us it can do a lot to change, and it can change very rapidly,” she said. “That may very well be one of the reasons why we need a booster, is to be able to get a bit more of an immune response to a variant that was not covered by the initial vaccination.”

Despite no statewide mask mandate and moderate transmission in Cuyahoga County, Englund said she will continue to wear her mask. 

"When I’ve gone out in public, for the majority of the time, I’ve continued wearing my mask,” she said.

That's partly to help prevent COVID-19 spread, and partially to make sure masks continue to be a normal part of life. Many people will want to continue wearing masks because they are immunocompromised or have family members they want to protect, she said.