Also would like to mention that someone dug up one of Fauci's interviews back in March 2020 about his recommendation on masks: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26623260
The CDC post is in line with Fauci's recommendation. My understanding is that the original recommendation was to avoid a shortage of masks during a critical period of the pandemic.
Things changed quickly in February. I was in Europe for 3 weeks January into February and things were 100% business as usual. Then there started to be worrisome signs as February went on but I was at an IT industry event first week in March with no handshaking and wiping of surfaces but no otherwise distancing. (And then things shut down and had to change flights back home.)
If felt like we lived through four ages in as many months at the beginning of last year.