Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced new guidance Thursday stating masks are not needed in most situations for fully vaccinated Americans.
The updated guidance states fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
Additionally, fully vaccinated people can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter.
“You can do things you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky during a White House Covid-19 briefing.
The updated guidance does not apply to health care settings, which have their own separate guidance. Additionally, public transportation and travel will still require masks and guidance will be updated as science emerges, said Walensky.
The CDC made this decision based on new studies from Israel and the United States that prove the vaccines work.
However, unvaccinated people “remain at risk” of illness and death and should remain masked and observe physical distancing, said Walensky.
“Today is a great day for America, and our long battle with coronavirus,” said President Biden Thursday afternoon. “I think it’s a great milestone … It’s been made possible by the extraordinary success we’ve had in vaccinating so many Americans so quickly.”
It’s important to remember the mask and other associated rules and practices have significance that extends far beyond filtering the air we breathe. For many, the mask and its associated rituals like hand sanitizing provide a sense of discipline and much needed structure in life. While there may not be any medical basis for wearing the mask, it has great symbolic value. It is important to continue wear the mask and practice ritual cleansing as a symbol of devotion to science and as a display of respect to others. If we abandon these traditions, it would leave a tremendous void in many people’s lives.
SB, there never was any doubt about vaccine effectiveness, and there never any medical reason for vaccinated people to take covid related precautions. The mask and its associated rituals are and always have been a means of bringing structure and discipline into people’s lives and encouraging people to follow the guidance of science.
CHIP – yeah, that or most people just pride themselves on personal hygiene. You do you, let others do them.
I figure it was about simplifying the message. The CDC had to put out simple messages to a nation of 300 million + people. If their message has any nuance or complexity, many people can’t make sense of it. If it’s too simple, the more intelligent people claim it isn’t precise enough. They haven’t done the best job of it—need a new Public Relations department.
Gotcha, continued sign of obedience.
Like branding sheep
I would say it is hard for people to deal with a fear of the unknown. The mask provides structure, ritual, and discipline which helps guide people through hard times. It may not have any quantifiable medical benefit, but following “the science” manifests emotional and spiritual benefits.
Think again, masks help, not a symbol of obedience but health.
Dr. Rajendra Kapila, an infectious disease expert and professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, died of COVID-19 last month while in India. He was fully vaccinated.
https://news.yahoo.com/jersey-infectious-disease-expert-dies-013300202.html
SBLETSGETALONG – obedience or extra precaution? What do you call the millions in Japan and other Asian countries who have been wearing masks daily for years? Sheep?
Tell you what. You let others do what they want if it doesn’t hurt you and yes, we all WILL be able to “get along.”
Dr. Deepti Saxena-Kapila, said her husband was fully vaccinated before traveling to India; while it is extremely rare for a vaccinated person to die of COVID-19, most who have died had underlying health conditions and were older, ABC News reports. Kapila’s ex-wife told WABC he was 81, had heart issues and diabetes.
There will always be people who thrive on fear. Like the TV news. And here they come on EdHat. But here’s the science:
In the overall vaccinated population, out of literally millions of vaccinated people, the “it didn’t work” rate is .0004%. So about one in a million. When science thought the effectivity was a mere 95%, the risk was a little more. But now we know it’s 99.99% good to go.
There is another subset of people for which there is a much larger chance it wont protect you–those who have certain immune system diseases and those who take immunosuppressant drugs. Those people for the most part know who they are. They probably already wear masks in risky settings, long before covid.
The people in Asian countries and some athletes in training use masks to prevent breathing in particulates. Bad air. Some people wear masks in “flu season” for protection because the flu vaccine isn’t very effective and influenza can, and has killed millions of at-risk people. BTW, the mRNA vaccine technology will likely make influenza shots far, far more effective. Masks and handwashing are very effective at preventing lots of infectious diseases. Why not wear a mask all the time and forever if you’re so fearful of the unseen bugs? At least keep your hands clean and properly cook your food.
If you want something to worry about, consider that we do not know how long the “protection” lasts.
But who knows? Perhaps the new tech mRNA vaccine lasts a lifetime! That would be awesome. Even if that turns out not to be the case, no worries. There’s always a booster. Have you gotten your: shingles/chickenpox, pneumonia, HPV, booster yet? Or are you just waiting to see if you luck out?
A few things. RE the Yankees getting Covid. J&J is not as effective as mRNAs. None are 100% effective. It’s also possible these were false negatives b/c it was the J&J vaccine which uses virus particles depending on how much they amplified the PCR test. Vaccine is not 100%, but it significantly reduces chance of illness and/or severe illness. Secondly, CDC said to keep wearing masks b/c of concerns about variants forming from spreading that would out mutate vaccines. With so many unvaccinated still, that is the risk. Now they are finding the vaccines DO in fact reduce if not prevent transmission [which they weren’t sure about before] b/c the virus cannot replicate in your system and shed a few days after infection which is what spreads it to others [and/or transmission is significantly reduced if you are vaccinated]. That is why the vaccinated can stop w/ the masks now b/c no to low risk of transmission. As for the unvaccinated, they still pose a risk of transmission so we’ll have to see if any variants develop to outsmart the vaccines, hopefully not. I’m sick of this.
I really wish at this point that people would leave others alone to do as they see fit, we are getting out of the woods now, numbers super low, so just leave people be. I think we are all traumatized here so if someone feels better still wearing a mask, what does it hurt you? Same goes w/ vaccines. While I wish more people would get them to prevent transmission and variants that could outmutate vaccines, I think it’s a person’s right to decline something injected into their system if they feel that way. Let’s try to get along now, and comfort each other as we’ve all been through hell and back with this evil disease.
Wearing a mask on a run is akin to promoting hydroxychloroquine as a cure at this point…
Andrea, I wish everyone had taken your perspective since the beginning. I find it ironic that the same people who were clamoring to humiliate and punish those who would not wear a mask in situations where it didn’t matter now demand that others leave them alone and respect their personal choices. I have respected the preferences and choices of others since covid started, and I wish that other people would have respected my choices and preferences when they did not. It’s a two way street.
Yeah, I think government ‘poisoned the well’ in the early stages with patently stupid rules, like the beach closures. Hard to have credibility when you say folks can jog on the beach but not sit down with a cold one hundreds of yards from anyone else. They lost my confidence there. “An abundance of caution” has become an excuse for “we really don’t know what we are doing.”
Until we reach herd immunity, it would be best for everyone to wear masks indoors. We are not even in the yellow tier yet, FGS.
I was just at Goleta Trader Joe’s, and they had a sign up “If you are fully vaccinated, you are not required to wear a mask while shopping”.
I promptly took off my mask and went shopping. Surprisingly, no one glared at me.
The great thaw is beginning.
“Structure and discipline” Gotcha there Chip! Papers please!
You have zero basis to say what’s best for everyone, but could you please elaborate on why everyone including those vaccinated should wear a mask? The “science” tells us it isn’t necessary, are you now a science denier? Separately, glad you’re finally acknowledging herd immunity is a thing. You’ve called me a covidiot in the past for talking about that.
If you’re under 40 with no underlying symptoms your risk of catching then dying from covid is less than a car accident, even if you aren’t vaccinated.
Shasta Guy: Did you have any concerns that other maskless individuals in the store were unvaccinated? Hypothetically, if every single person inside Trader Joe’s were COVID positive, a vaccinated individual should be A-Okay – correct? If vaccinated, there does not seem to be any reason whatsoever to be concerned if someone else were vaxed or not. Why do some believe that everyone should wear a mask until 100% of the population is vaxed? Seems odd that the folks pushing for everyone to “follow the science” are the ones who want to keep wearing the masks/rubber gloves and cloister with the clams. I guess their new motto will be, “Don’t follow the science.” Go figure.
VOR – yeah, that’s why they have seatbelts.
Nope, none at all that’s what the vaccine is for. It will prevent you from getting Covid if exposed to an infectious person, or in the event you do get Covid your symptoms will be mild to non-existent. Would I lick my finger after touching the shopping cart? No, that’s plain disgusting.
Your hypothetical situation is highly improbable. I actually was the only maskless person in the store at the time. I took a picture of the sign and I might send it in to Edhat unless someone else beats me to it.
This is your Berlin Wall moment. If you’re old enough, be like a 70’s Women’s Libber and burn your mask instead.
Babycakes, fear, like alcohol, impairs judgement and rational decision making. Due to the fear mongering for-profit media, many peoples fear has been spun up to crazy (irrational) levels this past year. That’s why the “follow the science” folk have quickly turned into the “science deniers” who now (finally!) question what’s coming from the CDC, etc. now that they’re telling them it’s okay, and safe, to act normal. It isn’t going to be easy for them to relax and let that fear go, it will take some time.
Stay away from Stearns Wharf on Saturday. The kooks and clowns are planning a gathering.
This is great news! Have any other businesses abandoned the mask requirements? If Trader Joe’s has done it, I expect the masks will be gone within days except among those who are truly devoted to “science.” Perhaps people will be able to dance again, gather to listen to live music, or partake in the performing arts. As we finally reclaim our freedoms, we need to put some sort of protections in place to prevent masks and their associated authoritarian restrictions from ever being imposed on us again.
Some people are truly delusional.
I still have concern for the kids who can’t be vaccinated yet. They can’t always avoid being around adults, in stores and such. If we have a lot of unvaccinated adults going around without masks, the kids are at some risk. I do understand that kids are unlikely to die. But there are still things we don’t know about this virus. How long does long covid last? What’s the deal with this inflammatory ailment that some kids get? I’m good with vaccinated people going without masks, but I do not trust that unvaccinated adults will be respectful of kids and others who are still vulnerable. I would have preferred everyone to keep the masks on indoors until we get a greater percentage of the population vaccinated.
The Worldwide Rally for Freedumb comes to town:
https://www.independent.com/2021/05/13/protesters-to-rally-against-facemasks-and-lockdowns/
Walmart has also just announced the same nationwide policy:
https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/553645-walmart-will-no-longer-require-customers-to-wear-masks
The Berlin Wall is cracking.
Chip, putting the word science in quotes only applies to people like you. You are one who believes things Trump says, therefore your credibility is about as good as his. Reclaim our freedoms? We have had our freedoms all along…carry on paranoid republicant
Oye Chip! I totally forgot about the no signing thing! and no screaming on roller coasters! It is amazing what the fearful will tolerate for the illusion of safety.
I wonder if the Covidiots (the science denying crowd who wants schools closed and masks worn anywhere and everywhere seemingly forever) will counter protest…?
Chip, isn’t amazing the responses don’t contain substance but instead use name calling and even bringing in politicians and the prior President? As if either has anything to do with your comment.
Chairman Newsom, tear down this mask mandate!!!
Then keep your kids home…forever if you wish! Preschools have been open without masks since May. Kids are running around and playing without masks all the time outside of school. If you want to stop with life…more power to you…but it’s not following science or logic, it’s following fear and panic…
It’s pretty clear who the real covidiots are, and it’s not your version.
It was the people of Berlin who tore down the wall. Don’t expect Newsom to do so anytime soon, unless he reads a biography of Nicholae Ceausescu who clung onto power a little too long. If he were smart he would adopt the new CDC policy ASAP.
If anything, I expect chairman Newsom will take action to keep the masks on a little longer. I agree, only we can make this change happen. Burn the masks!
Don’t worry, Karen, something else will come along for you to complain about to the manager.
As the covidiots here have been insisting for more than a year, there’s no reason to wear masks or fear an airborne virus that has killed millions of people. They’re still wrong, but at least in California that day is getting closer.
Espousing con talking points, honored member of the Trump cult, like sheep.
Can anyone tell me how you know the difference between a vaxxed maskless person and an unvaxxed maskless person? Do you think the unvaxxers will adhere to the mask guidance? Seems very unlikely.
Completely agree with AHCHOO here. I’ve been saying this for months. It’s absolutely about simplifying the messaging. It was obvious to anyone in the medical community that masking outdoors was never needed. The umbrella mandate was a way to prevent too much debate and confusion leading down the slippery slope of non-compliance at at time of rampant viral spread. It really was a lose/lose as far as communication goes.
If you are vaccinated it doesn’t matter, move on. You are much more likely to die in a car accident than from covid if you’ve been vaccinated.
Letmego, except we DID know a lot of this information early on. Doctors and scientist saying it were silenced and censured both on the interment and IRL and anyone talking about it was a “coviditiot freedumbing, science denier”.
Let me go – except we did have the data and evidence to support schools opening much earlier and that wearing a mask in most situations outside was silly and illogical… we just chose to lean into unsubstantiated paranoia and fear.
Exactly!!! How does anyone read that npr article and still advocate for Masks… wild…
Alex, if that happens we would all voluntarily comply, just like we all voluntarily complied with “15 days to flatten the curve”. Our response was better suited for a much more lethal virus like you example. This overabundance of caution that has permeated us the past 14 months has blinded many to the consequences of that excess, a consequence that will have a significant and long-lasting impact on our populations health and well being for years to come.
Mountain man – that post is just straight crazy… none of that will happen… but yeah let’s check back in 3 months to see crazy conspiracy you went to next…
VOR—it’s good that you have a rational view on being flexible in the face of the unexpected. However, it’s false for you to claim that everyone voluntarily complied at any point during the pandemic. Many , many people didn’t and made a point of it. I don’t know how you conclude that there was an over abundance of caution—that’s just an opinion.
Another mask-free shopping trip to TJs this evening. It was fabulous.
Yeah, a mask is such a huge burden that it’s hard to carry all your groceries, chew gum, and walk at the same time.