Fauci Confirms COVID-19 Transmission Outdoors Is 'Really Low'

The risk of COVID-19 transmission in outdoor settings is "really low," Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday. He also called upon the Centers for Disease and Prevention to make changes to its safety guidelines.

Fauci said the chances of COVID-19 getting transmitted between people are very low, especially for vaccinated individuals.

"The CDC is a science-based organization. They don’t want to make any guidelines unless they look at the data and the data backs it up," Fauci said on ABC News’ "This Week." "But when you look around at the common sense situation, the risk is really low, especially if you’re vaccinated."

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recently shared the agency's plans of easing policies on wearing masks outdoors.

When asked whether people should still be required to wear masks outdoors in areas where they aren't close to others, Walensky said it's an issue the CDC is still weighing.

"And so now we are really trying to scale up vaccination, we have this complex message that we still have hot spots in this country. … We will be looking at the outdoor masking question, but it’s also in the context of the fact that we still have people who are dying of COVID," Walensky explained on the "Today" show.

The CDC recently reported that about 28.5% of the U.S. population is now vaccinated — a number that amounts to around 94 million Americans.

Although the vaccine rollout in the U.S. continues to be administered at an efficient rate, one of the biggest problems the country faces is vaccine hesitancy.

Reports of adverse effects from the COVID-19 vaccine continue to spread, and several states have started showing reluctance toward the vaccine.

About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down shipments of the vaccine at least once over the past month, and Mississippi has asked the federal government to ship smaller packages of vials so they don't go to waste, according to reports.

Meanwhile, states such as Texas, Mississippi and North Dakota have already dropped their mask policies, making health officials worry that states are lifting restrictions too soon.

Walensky in March warned state officials to not let their guard down just yet. She expressed concerns that states have rolled back public health measures.