Psaki called the fight against the coronavirus a war

“We’re at war, we continue to be at war with the virus,” Psaki said at a briefing Tuesday.

Journalists asked the White House spokeswoman to comment on information that Americans may soon be required to wear masks again, whether they are vaccinated or not. “We’re still in the middle of a pandemic,” Psaki stressed.

She said that regulatory agencies will provide timely updates to their recommendations, and scientific evidence will be the basis for that. Psaki disagreed that vaccinated Americans might be disappointed by the mask decision, saying the vaccination lowers the risks.

As previously reported by the media, the U.S. health regulator CDC may on Tuesday reconsider its recommendation that those vaccinated against the coronavirus be allowed to not wear masks in most settings.

In May, Rochelle Walenski, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that vaccinated U.S. residents could no longer wear masks or keep a social distance in most settings. The recommendation to wear masks remained for those vaccinated on airplanes, trains, buses, and in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

On Tuesday, the regulator is expected to recommend that those vaccinated against the coronavirus wear masks indoors under certain conditions. The regulator’s change of position is due to an increase in infections with the “delta” strain of coronavirus, including among those who have been vaccinated.

According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, which summarizes data from federal and local authorities, as well as media and other public sources, the number of people infected with coronavirus in the United States is more than 34.5 million, and more than 611,000 people have died from coronavirus.