the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, on May 13, the US CDC updated its guidance for fully vaccinated individuals, which eliminates previous recommendations regarding physical distancing and mask use, including indoors. The update closely follows comments earlier this week by White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, who stated that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask, except in densely crowded environments, based on a “growing body of evidence” regarding the low risk of infection and transmission for fully vaccinated individuals. The CDC’s updated guidance for fully vaccinated individuals now indicates they no longer need to wear masks or practice physical distancing in most settings. Notable exceptions include higher-risk environments, including “planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation” and “correctional facilities and homeless shelters,” as well as anywhere that masks are mandated by tribal, state, or local governments or in businesses or workplaces that have their own mandates. The guidance applies to individuals who received their final vaccine dose at least 2 weeks prior.