Fauci called out for 'blood-boiling nonsense' after continuing to say children should wear masks outside

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CDC: Play summer camp sports outdoors with masks

Fox News medical contributor Nicole Saphier on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for vaccinated people to take masks off during outdoor sporting events.

White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci drew anger again Wednesday after continuing to insist children wear masks while playing outdoors, in spite of repeated studies showing outdoor transmission of coronavirus is virtually nil.

In an interview on the "TODAY" show Wednesday morning, co-host Savannah Guthrie asked Fauci why her daughter still had to wear her "little mask" getting off of the school bus but Guthrie, having been vaccinated with at least one dose, didn't have to wear one.

"When are kids going to be able to take off those masks and be able to play on the playground?" Guthrie asked.

Because children are unvaccinated, Fauci responded, they are "more at risk" out in the community and should therefore keep their masks on. Until the community levels of infection "goes way down," he said, children should remain cautious.

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His comments had parents and social media users fuming, especially since the data has consistently shown children are at a much lower risk of severe side effects to COVID than older demographics.

Actor Nick Searcy called Fauci's guidance "child abuse."

New York post columnist Karol Markowicz tweeted that Fauci's remarks were "blood-boiling nonsense."

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Markowicz added she was just as frustrated with Guthrie for not challenging Fauci on his flawed logic.

"You know his answer is complete rubbish," Markowicz says of Guthrie. "How do you not press him on it? You know it makes no sense for your kid to be masked, I hear it in your voice. Stand up for your child. Stand up for sanity."

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to inform Americans that if they are vaccinated, they can remove their masks outdoors, but only in uncrowded spaces.

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The new guidelines sparked criticism for being "late" in some circles, due to the known rarity of outdoor transmission.