The National Nurses Union, the nation’s largest nursing union with more than 150,000 members, is asking that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reimplement masking recommendations for groups that include non-household members.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the union is making the request because of the sudden spike in new coronavirus cases, particularly among the unvaccinated, the ease of transmission of the delta variant, and the emergence of the new lambda strain.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over,” the union wrote in a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.  “In the United States, the CDC reports a 16.0 percent increase in daily new cases over the previous week. More than 40 states have seen an increase in daily new cases over the previous two weeks, and more than 25 states have seen an increase in hospitalizations. Due to domestic and global travel, the United States cannot be viewed in isolation. Globally, incidence remains high with several regions around the world seeing significant increases in cases and emergence of new variants of concern.”

“Nurses and health care workers stand ready to care for the sickest patients and to be a crucial part of the pandemic response,” the union’s executive director, Bonnie Castillo, wrote.  “But our members need safe workplaces in order to ensure the safety of their patients and communities.  NNU strongly urges that the CDC strengthen and improve its guidance to protect nurses, our patients, and the public.”