ORLANDO, Fla. – The World Health Organization and Los Angeles County have issued guidance for vaccinated individuals to wear masks amid concerns of the delta variant.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not made any changes to its COVID-19 facial covering guidance.
[TRENDING: Tossed: Man thrown out of restaurant over salad | Wayward plane delays SpaceX rocket launch | Latest on Fla. condo collapse]
Los Angeles County leaders cited a rise in delta variant cases, which the CDC said has proven to be more deadly than the original strain of COVID-19.
Orange County said on Tuesday that it continues to follow the CDC recommendations, which doesn’t require facial coverings for vaccinated individuals.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order in May that prohibits local governments from enacting mask mandates and any other coronavirus-related restrictions.
Dr. Raul Pino with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said last week that he expects the delta variant to become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Central Florida.
Nick Sanders was walking around downtown Orlando on Tuesday and said that he’d wear a mask again if required.
“We’ve had masks for this long. I mean, I am not trying to go back into a lockdown or nothing,” Sanders said. “I have diabetes and I was just trying to to be safe. I have a pump and all that stuff. I’m type one. That’s why I got it.”
Despite the CDC not changing its guidance, Dr. Anthony Fauci said the presence of the delta variant has doubled within the past two weeks in the United States.
Catherine Sanders said that it’s confusing to keep up with all the latest information released by health officials.
“You have other people who use big words and then people like me who don’t know what they are even talking about, and then, you know, you have somebody who does explain it in layman’s terms and yeah it is definitely very confusing,” Sanders said.
As of Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health has stated there are 23 confirmed cases of the delta variant in Orange County, however, Pino said that number is likely much higher.