Residents Urged to Get Vaccinated to Slow Spread of Delta Variant
SOMERSET– Somerset Town Administrator Richard Brown is sharing the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the COVID-19 Delta variant and the CDC’s updated COVID-19 safety recommendations and guidance.
Above all, residents who have not already done so are urged to get vaccinated. Doing so significantly reduces the risk of significant illness due to COVID-19, including the Delta variant. To find a location where you can be vaccinated, visit vaxfinder.mass.gov.
Virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the United States continue to be among unvaccinated individuals. The most significant levels of spread, and most severe cases of illness and death associated with COVID-19 — including Delta variant cases — are occurring in places with low vaccination rates. Additionally, vaccinated individuals represent a very small portion of total Delta variant transmissions.
The CDC announced yesterday, June 27, that it is recommending that those in “areas of substantial and high transmission” should wear a mask in indoor public settings, even if they are fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, Massachusetts is currently an area of moderate transmission, but communities in Bristol County are areas of substantial transmission. As such, residents in the Town of Somerset are strongly urged to wear a mask while in indoor public settings.
According to the CDC, the COVID-19 Delta variant is far more easily transmissible than the initial COVID-19 infection. The Delta variant has most recently surged to become the predominant variant – from less than 1% in May to over 80% of all U.S. COVID-19 cases in July.
As such, the CDC and local officials encourage residents to get vaccinated and continue masking until they are fully vaccinated. Vaccinations will prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death relating to COVID-19, while also reducing the spread of the virus in communities.
The CDC also announced today a recommendation for a universal indoor mask mandate for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, when schools return to full-time, in-person learning this fall.
To learn more about the Delta variant, click here.
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