News | Coronavirus (COVID-19) | May 13, 2021

CDC Updates Its Mask Recommendations

America breathes a sigh of relief as it turns a new corner on the road to recovery from COVID-19

According to the CDC, if you are fully vaccinated you can start doing many things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. Infographic courtesy of the CDC.

According to the CDC, if you are fully vaccinated you can start doing many things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. Infographic courtesy of the CDC.

May 13, 2021 — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a new statement relaxing the restrictions on wearing face masks for fully vaccinated people. The update states that 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. It also states that 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.

The following recommendations apply to non-healthcare settings. For related information for healthcare settings, visit Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination. According to these new guidelines, fully vaccinated people can:

Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance
Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel
Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible

The CDC also recommends that for now, fully vaccinated people should continue to get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.

For more information: www.cdc.gov