The CDC is expected to recommend masks for vaccinated people in some indoor settings as COVID-19 cases soar

• The CDC is expected to announce new mask-wearing guidance on Tuesday afternoon.
• The CDC is set to recommend masks in more settings as cases soar and the Delta variant spreads.

As COVID-19 cases rise nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue a change in mask-wearing guidance, urging fully vaccinated people to put their masks back on indoors in some settings.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to announce the new guidance on Tuesday afternoon.

The guidelines are expected to be targeted toward areas of the country where COVID-19 transmission is high, The New York Times reported. They are also expected to address children and people who interact with them, such as teachers and parents, said Yamiche Alcindor, PBS NewsHour's White House correspondent. (Kids under 12 are not eligible for vaccination in the US.)

The CDC said in May that fully vaccinated people could drop their masks indoors.

That was before the Delta variant was so prevalent in the US.

The Delta variant spreads faster and far more easily than earlier coronavirus variants. It can make vaccinated people sick, though they tend to be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Experts believe that vaccinated people can also transmit the Delta variant more easily than earlier variants.

By and large, unvaccinated people are the ones getting severe COVID-19 and landing in the hospital with a risk of death.

This is a developing story.