Masks off indoors and out. That is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated, provided you are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
However, Governor Phil Murphy did not announce changes to his current mandate even after the CDC announcement on Thursday.
The CDC announced those two weeks past their last required coronavirus vaccine dose no longer need to wear masks indoors or outside nor maintain social distancing. The move to relax this requirement is a major shift in the agency’s position on safety measures related to the pandemic and moves the nation closer to fully reopening.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing today, “if you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”
The updated guidelines exclude health care facilities, correctional institutions and homeless shelters. The agency added that those fully vaccinated should still wear masks where required including on airplanes, trains and public transportation.
Those who have immune-compromised conditions were advised to speak with their physicians prior to ending use of their masks according to the CDC. The agency has received criticism for being slow to respond to changing science, being overly cautious and providing contradictory information to the public.
More than 117 million people in the country have been fully vaccinated which represents around 35% of the population. New cases of the virus are down by a third in the last two weeks. Daily deaths have been reduced to their lowest point since April 2020.
This decision puts the burden on business and local officials as there is no way to determine if a person has been fully vaccinated. The concept of a “vaccination passport” or digital identification document has not been well received and has become a political issue.
States have been relaxing restrictions and reopening businesses as local vaccination rates have risen. Health officials on the federal level and the CDC continued to advise people to be careful. Some health experts said they were concerned that the CDC’s conservative approach might lead to fewer people getting shots if they failed to show the benefits having been vaccinated.
Last month the agency lifted restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals but advised people to continue wearing protective masks indoors in most public settings as well as some outdoor locations.
Walensky said that these changes were not being made because of agency criticism or as a means to increase vaccinations. “We follow the science here.”
Governor Murphy will be holding his usual press briefing on Friday but it’s unclear if he will make any changes to New Jersey’s restrictions.
