CDC recommends vaccinated people wear masks indoors in Onondaga County

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UPDATED: Aug. 3, 2021 at 1:03 a.m.

The CDC recommends that people, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, wear masks indoors in areas with at least a “substantial” transmission rate. Onondaga County has been added to the list of counties with “substantial” COVID-19 transmission rates, the CDC revealed.

In the past week, Onondaga County had 257 new cases, or 55.81 cases per 100,000 people, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Counties with more than 50 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the past week are considered to have “substantial” transmission.

At Syracuse University, masks will be required indoors regardless of vaccination status starting Tuesday until “transmission rates have declined sufficiently,” Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie said in a news release. The policy comes after other universities in nearby counties such as Cornell University and Ithaca College, have reinstated indoor mask mandates.

As of June 23, 90% of students on campus over the summer and 97% of faculty and benefit-eligible staff have been fully vaccinated. At least 61% of Onondaga County residents are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

This post has been updated with additional reporting.