MOVING TO FRONT FROM JULY 30–INTERESTING COMMENTS, BELOW (NOTE, IN PARTICULAR, THAT THE WEATHER WAS BAD THAT WEEKEND, SO MOST TRANSMISSION ALMOST CERTAINLY OCCURRED INDOORS)
This is allegedly why the Center for Disease Control in the U.S. has reinstituted mask mandates:
As of Thursday, 882 people were tied to the Provincetown outbreak. Among those living in Massachusetts, 74% of them were fully immunized, yet officials said the vast majority were also reporting symptoms. Seven people were reported hospitalized.
Before Provincetown, health officials had been operating under the assumption that it was extraordinarily rare for a vaccinated person to become infected with the virus. And if they did, they probably wouldn't end up passing it on to others, such as children too young to qualify for the vaccine or people who were medically vulnerable.
The idea that vaccines halt transmission of the virus was largely behind the CDC's decision in May suggesting vaccinated people could safely go without their masks indoors and in crowds, even if others were unvaccinated….
When a vaccinated person gets infected with delta — called a "breakthrough infection" — "the level of virus in their nasopharynx is about 1,000 times higher than with the alpha variant," Fauci said in an interview Wednesday with MSNBC.
All indications now are that the Provincetown outbreak investigation is among the pieces of new evidence behind the CDC's decision to ask Americans to once again put on their masks indoors, even if they are vaccinated….
One thing this article leaves unclear is whether the infections were thought to occur at the beach, or rather in indoor facilities near the beach. If readers have seen more details elsewhere, or informed commentary on this, please post links. Thanks.
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