In the small Nebraska town of Oxford, the school district gave away its mask mandate last month which was a justly straightforward resolution: Cases were down significantly, and it didn’t bother local officials that their move defied Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
Unsuitable Guidelines
Those federal mask guidelines just didn’t appear to suit local conditions well in the town of about 800 people where barely anyone wears a mask.
Easing Of Guidelines
On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alleviated its guidelines on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear masks anymore unless they are in a big crowd of people. And those who are unvaccinated can go outside without covering their faces in some circumstances, too.
Cautions Of CDC
The CDC had been cautioning Americans to cover their faces outdoors for most of the past year if they are within 6 feet of one another.
Approval Of CDC
The conclusion marked the U.S. government’s latest step toward normalcy but came as much of the country so far had moved on from mask rules. The CDC essentially approved what many Americans have already been doing.
Updated Its Guidance
On the same day, the CDC upgraded its guidance, Louisiana’s governor partly lifted the state’s mask mandate, the first Democratic governor to take such an action during Joe Biden’s presidency. Somewhere else, local government leaders have been doing away with mask rules, and in many states, wearing masks are an infrequent sight indoors, let alone outside.
Publication Of Guidelines
The federal government has strived to accomplish consistency in public health measures from state to state since the start of the pandemic. The CDC has published guidelines on masks, social distancing, travel, and other activities but it’s up to governors on whether to stick to the measures. While others still have them on the books, some states never had mask mandates.
Unvaccinated People
The CDC says that, whether they are fully vaccinated or not, people do not have to cover their faces outdoors when they walk, bike, or run alone or with their family members. An unvaccinated person with an uncovered face can also go to a small outdoor gathering with fully vaccinated people.
But unvaccinated people — means those who have yet to receive both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson formula — should cover their faces at small outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people, the CDC says. They also should wear masks when dining at outdoor restaurants with friends from multiple households.
And everyone, fully vaccinated or not, should cover their faces at crowded outdoor events such as concerts or sporting events, the CDC says.
Recommendation Of Masks
The agency resumes to recommend masks at indoor public places, such as hair salons, restaurants, gyms, museums, movie theaters, and shopping centers saying that is still the safest way even for vaccinated people.
Vaccinated People
The change comes as more than half of U.S. adults — or about 140 million people — have obtained at least one dose of vaccine, and more than a third have been fully vaccinated.
Reason For The Decision
Walensky said the conclusion was driven by rising vaccination numbers; declines in COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalization; and research showing that less than 10% of documented instances of transmission of the virus occurred outdoors.
Calibrated Step Back To Normal
The new guidance represents another cautiously adjusted step on the road back to normal from the coronavirus outbreak that has wiped out over 570,000 people in the U.S.
Rob Webster, a 49-year-old church employee In Plano, Texas, said the new guidelines sounded “reasonable” but he had some reservations.
Superintendent Jorgensen in the Nebraska school district said the district decided to get rid of its mask rule based on circumstances in the area and in the state, which never had a statewide mask mandate.
The district did see a raised risk of the virus last fall when cases statewide were climaxing, but there hasn’t been a distinct case in the district since January and fewer than a dozen cases had been stated in the two counties around the district when they made the resolution.
But unvaccinated people — means those who have yet to receive both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson formula — should cover their faces at small outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people, the CDC says. They also should wear masks when dining at outdoor restaurants with friends from multiple households.
And everyone, fully vaccinated or not, should cover their faces at crowded outdoor events such as concerts or sporting events, the CDC says.
Quarantine Of Sick Students
Jorgensen said the district is still being cautious and will need students to isolate for 10 days if they test positive for the virus, but the mask mandate didn’t appear compulsory anymore.
Contribution To Report
Associated Press Writer John Zenor committed to this report. The AP Health & Science Department accepts support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely accountable for all content.
