What Does the CDC Guideline Mean for Mask Policies?

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter. 

The CDC says that fully vaccinated people might not need to wear masks anymore, so what does this mean for mask mandates? 

It has been over a year of mask mandates and recommendations from public health authorities, so when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, "You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying six feet apart,” it was hard to believe. Especially given the rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant that has caused some countries to go back into lockdown and reinstate mask requirements. 

"People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves," Dr. Mariangela Simao, World Health Organization assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, told NPR. 

So, with the WHO urging vaccinated people to mask up and the CDC saying it's up to you, confusion is understandable. Essentially it means that most vaccinated Americans have a choice to make.  

This confusion is only exacerbated if you are an employer.  

"Don't throw those mask policies out just yet," advises Adam Pankratz, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Seattle, to SRHM. This new CDC guidance only applies to those who are fully vaccinated and only for those in a state where local guidance and orders allow it. Plus, the guidance doesn’t apply in every industry. 

The new guidelines create challenges for companies that must comply with local laws and may not know whether their employees and customers are fully vaccinated. 

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers' union, told CNN the CDC guidance is "confusing" and says it "fails to consider how it will impact essential workers who face frequent exposure to individuals who are not vaccinated and refuse to wear masks." 

"Employers will be anxious to implement this latest CDC guidance, but we are still not entirely sure how OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] will apply it in the context of its workplace guidance,” Kevin Troutman, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Houston, told SRHM. "Unless and until they do, employers should be aware that OSHA's workplace safety guidance still applies," he said. 

Hopefully, OSHA will soon update their policies to provide clarity and guidance that is consistent with the CDC’s new recommendations.  

"We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky during a White House briefing on May 13. It makes sense that we are excited and ready to fully move past the phase of our lives where we have to wear a mask everywhere. 

However, even fully vaccinated people should remember that the CDC is still recommending that people wear masks and practice physical distancing in some instances. According to The New York Times you should be wearing a mask when: 

• Going to a doctor, hospital or long-term-care facility 

• Traveling by bus, plane, train or another mode of public transportation 

• In transportation hubs, such as airports and bus stations 

• While at a prison, jail or homeless shelter 

The World Health Organization recently reiterated its world-wide guidance that everyone should wear a mask indoors. With so much up in the air, it is probably best to take their advice: “If you have any doubts, it’s safer to simply wear a mask.” 

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