COLUMBUS, Ohio — The World Health Organization is urging fully-vaccinated people to continue to wear masks and social distance as the highly contagious delta variant keeps spreading.
The CDC said they are leaving it up to local officials to set guidelines for mask-wearing as several parts of the country, including central Ohio, are still inching toward a 70% vaccination status.
Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are reinstating some mask-wearing guidance because of the more contagious delta variant that continues to spread across the country.
As local health leaders like the Columbus Public Health Department are still working to get the city to that 70% number, could we see them ask Central Ohioans to mask up again?
“We are not making any plans at this point to change any of the guidance that we have officially put out about masks,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, of Columbus Public Health.
“We know that the delta variant has arrived in Ohio. What we don’t know at this point is how much has arrived.”
Dr. Roberts said Columbus Public Health is working with the Ohio Department of Public Health to find out exactly how many COVID-19 cases in Columbus are the delta variant.
She also noted Columbus Public Health will keep following CDC guidelines that unvaccinated people should still mask up.
However, she said even if someone is vaccinated but they are around people they don’t know, it is a good idea to mask up anyway.
Hassan Shafad has lived in Columbus for about 20 years.
He said he got his vaccine Wednesday so he and his family won’t have to worry about masks at all.
“In my community, Somali, there’s a lot of friends--- a lot of my community hit so hard,” he said.
“It’s very important to take vaccination … to protect lives.”
Columbus City Schools teacher Theresa Stellar has seen those live changed by COVID-19 firsthand.
She said she already got the Johnson & Johnson while her daughter got her second Pfizer dose on Wednesday.
Stellar said she is happy getting her and her family vaccinated can be a step closer to normal. Not only for her but for the kids she teaches.
“I also just felt like I could walk around and help my students more freely and not worry about being sick,” she said.
“So I just feel like it made me be able to be a better teacher.”
She said she shares the hopes most of us have now.
“I hope that we can get this completely under control. Not just for our country, but the world.”
Now as we’re getting close to the fourth of July holiday and more people are traveling, Doctor Roberts said to keep this delta variant in mind.
She advises people to make sure they are traveling with masks, and study up on whatever health guidelines their destination has.