The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday: Fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask indoors in most situations.
But don’t throw away your mask yet. Vermont’s mask rule remains in place, if only for now.
The CDC removed the mask rule for anyone who had received all necessary doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and has had two weeks after vaccination to reach full immunity.
In Vermont, about 51% of people 16 and older have completed vaccination. Nationally, the rate stands at 35%.
The state had initially announced a move to a mask “recommendation,” rather than a mask mandate, by July 4 under its plans for reopening the state.
Vermont officials haven’t said yet whether they will drop the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people under the CDC guidance, but that could come on Friday, when Gov. Phil Scott holds his regular Covid press conference.
“Vaccines work,” Scott said on Twitter on Friday after the CDC announcement. “The new masking guidance from the CDC is incredibly encouraging. We are reviewing it and Vermont will follow suit. We will discuss our updates at tomorrow’s 11 a.m. Covid-19 response media briefing.”
Vaccines work. The new masking guidance from the CDC is incredibly encouraging. We are reviewing it and Vermont will follow suit. We will discuss our updates at tomorrow’s 11:00 a.m. COVID-19 response media briefing. #OurShotVT
— Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) May 13, 2021
Vermont dropped its outdoor masking requirement in late April, shortly after the CDC published guidance that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask in uncrowded outdoor situations.
There are several important exceptions to the new CDC guidance: Everyone, no matter their vaccination status, must wear a mask in health care situations (such as hospitals and long-term care centers) and when using public transportation such as trains, airplanes and buses.
Workplaces and businesses are also allowed to set their own rules on masking, the CDC said.
Other guidance from the CDC, if you’ve been fully vaccinated:
- You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
- You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
- If you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested before or after travel and you don’t need to self-quarantine after travel.
- You need to pay close attention to the situation at your international destination before traveling outside the United States.
- You do not need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.
- You still need to show a negative test result or documentation of recovery from Covid-19 before boarding an international flight to the United States.
- You should still get tested three to five days after international travel.
- You do not need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
- If you’ve been around someone who has Covid-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
- However, if you live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has Covid-19, you should still get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.
