(Lincoln, NE) -- Nebraska's Governor is pushing back against new CDC guidance about masking in public amid a surge in Delta variant COVID-19 cases.
Governor Pete Ricketts issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying that Nebraska will not be following the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. The CDC now recommends that everyone, including those that are fully vaccinated, wear masks in indoor public spaces. The announcement comes on the heels of an increase in Delta variant cases nationally and globally. The CDC is also recommending masks in schools this Fall. “The CDC recommends that everyone in K-12 schools wear a mask indoors, including teachers, staff, students and visitors, regardless of vaccination status,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “Children should return to full-time, in-person learning in the fall with proper prevention strategies in place.”
Ricketts says he will not endorse Nebraskans to follow either guidance.
“The CDC’s new guidance suggesting that vaccinated people wear masks indoors flies in the face of the public health goals that should guide the agency’s decision making. The CDC announcement only furthers the distrust many have with the CDC and does not help to encourage more people to get the vaccines that are helping bring the pandemic to a conclusion. The State of Nebraska will not be adopting their mask guidance.”
“Furthermore, I will reiterate my expectations for schools and universities in the fall. Schools should convene in person without mask or vaccine requirements.”
“Nebraskans exercise personal responsibility for their own health, and are encouraged to have a conversation with their doctor about the vaccine. These conversations will be important because the virus will be with us forever. Working together, we’ve successfully protected hospital capacity throughout the pandemic. It’s time for the CDC and the government to get out of the way, and to stop trying to tell people how to live their lives.” - Governor Pete Ricketts.