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CDC eases mask guidance on outdoor masking

Posted by S. Kit on
CDC eases mask guidance on outdoor masking

You can walk your dog or dine outside with friends if you are fully vaccinated from COVID-19, and not have to wear a mask. But keep it on for any outdoor crowded events like concerts, parades and sporting events.

Wearing a mask in public spaces indoors also remains a must.

That’s according to new guidance released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for people considered fully immunized -– a milestone achieved two weeks after a person’s final vaccine shot.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the latest research suggests transmission outdoors is rare, with indoor settings posing a "20-fold" increased risk. The CDC plans to further loosen suggested rules as more people become vaccinated and case numbers decline, she said.

"The more people who are vaccinated, the more steps we can take towards spending time with people we love doing the things we love to enjoy," Walensky told reporters on Tuesday.

She asserted those who had been vaccinated could take a similar approach to indoor activities, saying, “We know that masked, fully vaccinated people can safely attend worship services inside, go to an indoor restaurant or bar, and even participate in an indoor exercise class.”

A study published in March found the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna were 80 percent effective after their first dose, and about 90 percent effective after the second dose.

Separate studies have pegged the Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s efficacy at a little less than 70 percent against the strain of the virus dominant in the United States.

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