Frances good morning, i am frances sellers, a senior writer at the Washington Post today. We will talk about the troubling rise in cases from the Delta Variant and vaccination challenges with dr. Rachel levine, Assistant Secretary for health at the department of health and human services. Dr. Levine, a warm welcome to Washington Post live. Asst. Sec. Levine thank you, pleasure to be here. Frances wonderful to have you here when we need to understand so much more. There was a change in guidance this week from cdc resulting from new science about the Delta Virus including masking for people who are vaccinated. What is the science behind that change . Asst. Sec. Levine we know and have been discussing for months that the Delta Variant is different. The Delta Variant has been shown to be more transmissible. It is at least twice as contagious as previous forms of covid19 we have seen. Approximately two months ago, the Delta Variant was 1 or 2 of the percentage of covid19 cases we were seein
Advice for people who are vaccinated in certain settings. What is the science behind that change . We know and have been discussing for the last number of months that the Delta Variant is different. The Delta Variant has been shown to be more transmissible. It is at least twice as contagious then previous forms of covid19 that we have seen. Approximately two months ago, the Delta Variant was 92 of the covid cases. Was only 2 of the covid cases we are seeing. Now it is 80 . Now that the more contagious variant, the cdc has changed its guidance in terms of masking. It is recommending that if you live in an area that has moderate to high spread, Community Spread when you are in public you wear a mask. Thats the broad picture, but we were wanting to see the data. Why the delay . Why change the delay without having a really good sense of what is behind it . The cdc will be releasing more data today. Data should be coming this afternoon. Mask mandates, do we need to be masking up . Would you
With new data that shows Delta Variants only need one second to spread new Mask Mandates from the Nations Capital to your kids classroom, to the Magic Kingdom as a war over masks shapes up in the Sunshine State. Plus, the gold standard, The American who stepped up in simone Biles Absence to grab the gold. Hear her inspiring journey to tokyo coming up. Hey, everyone, welcome to the lead, im jake tapper. Any moment now were going to hear a major announcement from President Biden who is looking to shake the nation out of its relative complacency when it comes to vaccinations. Biden is expected to announce new requirements for federal workers requiring everyone in all agencies get a Vaccine Or Show proof of regular negative covid tests. This comes as a slew of major corporations go even one step further taking away the choice from google to netflix, morgan stanley, many more, theyre all now mandating vaccines for all of their employees. The momentum moves away from the Encouragement Period
Will be asked to attest to the fact they are fully vaccinated or face strict Screening Measures like regular testing, Mask Requirements and restrictions on most travel. It comes as major companies also hoping to stave off a third Covid Wave initiate their own Vaccine Mandates. Companies like google, netflix, facebook, morgan stanley, and the Washington Post and lyft are among the major corporations requiring their employees to show proof of vaccination. Restauranteur Danny Meyer is even taking the step of requiring indoor diners at his restaurants, not just his employees, to show proof of vaccinations. And where vaccines arent yet required, Covid Restriction that is have become the new normal for us in the last year. Apple is reinstating its Mask Mandate at most stores. Companies like twitter are shutting down offices again weeks after they reopened them for business. President bidens Declaration Of Independence from the virus earlier this summer is creating a bit of a political challe
Good morning. Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee these come to order. We are holding a public pandemic. We will have an Opening Statement and introduce our witnesses. After the give testimony, senators will each have five minutes for a round of questions while yet unable to have the hearing fully open to the public or media for imprisonment pundits, live video is available on our committeeo website health. Senate. Gov in this if anyone is in need of accommodations, reach out to the Committee Or Office of congressional sensibilities service. We are at a time of great Promise And Peril in the fight against covid19 while i am encouraged by the fact that two thirds of adults in our country received their first Dose Of vaccine, i am alarmed by how the rate of vaccination has been slowing and driven by the Delta Variant of covert cases and deaths are on the rise again. Five counties in my state currently have high levels of transmission according to the centers for Disease