The National Retail Federation issued the following statement in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that fully vaccinated people again wear masks indoors in COVID-19 hot spots.

“Public health and safety is always the number one priority for retailers large and small. To be sure, retailers will continue to follow the guidance of the CDC and other public health experts to protect our associates, their families and our customers. We want every business to remain open, we want to keep people employed, and we want to ensure that consumers have access to the goods and services they expect and need.

“It is truly unfortunate that mask recommendations have returned when the surest known way to reduce the threat of the virus is widespread vaccination. The CDC’s latest guidance underscores the urgency for more Americans to become fully vaccinated so we can all emerge from this pandemic.”