The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its latest universal mask wearing guidance on Friday, its strongest guidance yet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Universal mask wearing will apply to all activities outside of one's home, said the CDC.

The new CDC recommendation comes as the U.S. saw its deadliest day so far, with more than 3,000 lives taken by the virus on Thursday alone.

Universal mask wearing follows the compelling evidence in earlier studies of the "benefits of cloth face masks for both source control (to protect others) and, to a lesser extent, protection of the wearer," the report states.

As per the guidance, masks has to be used inside one's household if someone is infected or has been exposed to the virus, said a report from The Hill.

Face Mask
(Photo : Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels) Face Mask

It should also be worn outdoors if at least six feet of social distancing can't be maintained.

Other measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus such as physical distancing, postponing travel and avoiding crowded indoor spaces were also outlined in the report, noted a CBS News report.

These new precautions serve as warning from health officials who also warned that there has been an alarming increase in reported COVID-19 cases across the country, topping 200,000 per day heading into winter.

Read also: Moderna to Provide up to 125 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Globally in Early 2021

This is the first time the agency recommended universal mask wearing. For months, it only endorsed face coverings and touted its effectiveness.

CDC Warns US in 'High-Level Transmission'

The CDC warned that "[t]he United States has entered a phase of high-level transmission."

According to Politico, state and local officials were advised to impose mask mandates for indoor "nonhousehold" settings.

It also echoes calls from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for mask orders that a number of red states refused to impose.

Even with the record-breaking numbers in COVID-19 cases in the nine months since the start of the pandemic, mask wearing remains a divisive issue.

Governors who initially opposed to putting mask wearing mandates at the start of the pandemic only started issuing their own mask orders in Novembers when hospitals reported almost full capacity.

Meanwhile, other states remained firm in their refusal to have mask orders. One of these states is Florida, where Republican Governor Ron DeSantis still refused to punish people who did not wear masks.

Universal Mask Wearing Shaves Down Risks of Coronavirus Spread

According to CDC, wearing masks is one of the most important safety precautions people can follow since about 50% of coronavirus spread comes from people who are asymptomatic.

The CDC report noted that with the colder weather that comes with winter, people will be more inclined to spend time indoors.

Not to mention, gatherings during the U.S. holiday season will contribute to a silent spread of the disease.

Read also: Universal Mask Wearing Could Save 130,000 Lives by February

Another study published in Nature Medicine also said if at least 85% of the country exercised mask wearing, at least 96,000 people could be saved from infection.

CDC Director Robert Redfield also said masks could be the most effective tool to prevent further spread of the pandemic. He added that masks might be even more effective than a vaccine in stopping the virus.