Mask Guidelines: futher explanations

CDC lifts indoor mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people. What does it actually mean? The new CDC guidelines may encourage more people to get vaccinated with tangible rewards, but it may also add to the confusion of mask etiquette. Adrianna Rodriguez USA TODAY

...  Health experts say the new CDC guidelines may encourage more people to get vaccinated by enticing them with tangible benefits, but it may also add to the confusion of mask etiquette in the United States.

Here are some questions that remain unanswered:  

Where do I still need to wear a mask? 

CDC guidelines say fully vaccinated people must still wear a mask in health care settings, transportation hubs such as airports and stations, and public transportation. That includes planes, buses and trains traveling into, within or outside of the U.S. as part of a federal mask mandate that was extended to Sept. 13. 

The agency also said fully vaccinated people must wear a mask or socially distance in places required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

It means fully vaccinated people may still need to wear a mask depending on where they live and where they go. Some business owners may follow CDC guidelines, but others may be more reluctant to lift their own rules on masking.

How will mask guidelines be enforced? 

If schools, offices, or local businesses plan to implement CDC guidelines and allow fully vaccinated people to remove their masks indoors, how will they do that?

It’s impossible to know for sure if someone is fully vaccinated or unvaccinated without asking to look at their vaccination card.

“We’re creating a situation where private companies or individuals are responsible for their business and find(ing) out if people are vaccinated – if they’re even going to be enforcing that,” said Rachael Piltch-Loeb, associate research scientist at New York University School of Global Public Health and a preparedness fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Can the CDC bring back mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people?

The CDC said it’s possible masking guidelines may return for fully vaccinated people in the future if vaccination rates decrease and coronavirus transmission increases.

“This past year has shown us that this virus can be unpredictable,” Walensky said. “So, if things get worse, there’s always a chance we may need to make changes in these recommendations.”