Thanks to omicron, it’s back to pandemic basics in Miami-Dade County | Editorial

Omicron doesn’t care if you’re vaccinated or boosted. It still attacks. Once again, it appears a mask may be solid protection, vaccinated or not, against catching the fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus.

In Miami-Dade and across the country, it omicron is steadily working its way through the immunized populations. Health experts say breakthrough cases have been more common with omicron than with the Delta strain, although illness, when contracted, may not be as severe. If unvaccinated, “the virus is going to find you,” top U.S. infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned this week.

Praise goes to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava for recognizing the need for masks to return.

On Wednesday, she held a news conference to announce that masks will again be required in county buildings, bringing back a restriction she put in place during the surge of the Delta variant in July, but had lifted on Nov. 5.

She also announced new public-health protocols and urged residents to take safety precautions against the highly contagious omicron variant. She also urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to receive booster shots, which research shows are helpful protection against omicron.

She’s not alone. Universal Orlando Resort announced that, starting Satuday, it’s tightening its mask policies at parks, hotels and restaurants as the omicron variant spreads and cases rise. Other cities and institutions are likely to follow as year’s end approaches.

Levine Cava also suggested families planning Christmas celebrations consider gathering outdoors to prevent infection.

“We have seen this omicron variant rapidly spreading like wildfire,” she said.

Levine Cava has started reinstating other county rules that were dropped over the fall when it appeared the Delta variant was easing. For example, the county is back to requiring hospitals to provide daily reports on COVID patient counts and ICU bed availability. The county is also deploying mobile vaccination trucks and sequencing for variants at county-run testing sites.

Experts are advising people to use double-layered mask and warning that cloth masks may not be as effective against omicron. Double masking is another option. The best option is to wear close-fitting masks or the always-effective N95 or KN95 surgical masks.

Bottom line: We have to up our mask game., once again.

This story was originally published December 24, 2021 at 10:26 AM.