Barring certain settings, masks and distancing are no longer required for vaccinated individuals.
As of recent estimates, around 117 million US citizens have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19, either with two shots of Moderna or Pfizer or one shot of Johnson & Johnson. According to recent studies conducted in the United States and Israel, the vaccines are definitely effective at limiting coronavirus infection in enclosed spaces, and even in the event of infection, the symptoms would be far less severe, not last as long, and not be as contagious.
With these studies on their backs, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have once again updated their COVID-19 safety guidelines with a change many have been waiting for: as of today, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a face mask or maintain social distancing, either indoors or outdoors.
“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House Covid-19 briefing. “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”
There are a few caveats to this update, however; firstly, masks will still be required on public transportation such as busses, subways, and planes. Secondly, immunocompromised individuals are advised to speak with their doctors before stopping the use of face masks. Finally, in the event of infection, even a minor one, face masks and distancing should be employed once again, as unvaccinated individuals are still at risk.
Dr. Anthony Fauci also stressed that if people who are fully vaccinated still want to wear a mask, they are more than welcome to. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with an individual who has a certain level of risk aversion, as we know the risk is extremely low of getting infected whether you’re indoors or outdoors. But there are those people who don’t want to take that bit of a risk and there’s nothing wrong with that and they shouldn’t be criticized,” he said.
