(PHOENIX) The Center for Disease Control and Prevention started again recommending the use of masks indoors in areas of high or substantial transmission, as well as masking for everyone in K-12 schools, and the Arizona Department of Health Services said it will be matching the guidance state-wide, ABC 15 reported.
"The mask recommendation does make sense especially when you've got high community or substantial community transmission," ADHS Health Director Dr. Cara Christ said.
Masking is recommended for everyone regardless of vaccination status.
Earlier this year the CDC said those who were fully vaccinated could go without masks indoors. That was before the delta variant became dominant in America.
Roughly 50% of people in Arizona are fully vaccinated as the delta variant continues to spread. It is accounting for over 75% of all cases in the state, according to Translational Genomics Research Institute.
The CDC said every county in Arizona, aside from Yuma and Cochise, are in the high or substantial transmission category.
Gov. Doug Ducey said Friday there would be no mask mandate in the state as COVID-19 case numbers started to rise again.