To Mask Or Not To Mask? Confusion Remains After CDC Says They're No Longer Necessary For Fully Vaccinated Americans
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Face masks are still mandatory inside in Philadelphia even after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they were no longer necessary for people who are fully vaccinated.
Governments and businesses can have their own rules, and most are reviewing the new guidance. So whether or not you need your mask depends on where you are.
It's best to keep your mask handy as they're still required in many locations.
"I feel liberated," a woman said as she took off her mask.
That might be a little premature.
Pennsylvania has already adopted the CDC guidance that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks, along with a number of counties, but they're still required in Philadelphia -- inside. Also at Giant, CVS, and Home Depot.
Taking off your face mask isn't entirely up to you because many businesses and municipalities are still reviewing the CDC update. That includes New Jersey.
"If you're in a business or public setting, we're not there yet. We're frankly not there yet," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.
Delaware will lift its mask mandate effective May 21.
More than 118 million people in the United States are now fully vaccinated and are safe without masks, but a third of the country remains unvaccinated and children under 12 are not vaccinated either.
"I think it's very important for us to continue vaccinating," Jeffrey Morris, director of biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania, said. "The vaccines aren't just reducing severity of disease, but they clearly are protecting against infection and reducing transmission."
But there's no way to tell who's vaccinated.
"Everyone should just keep wearing their mask," Miracle Thompson said, "because maybe people can lie and say, 'I got vaccinated,' and then they really didn't just because they don't want to wear their masks."
And there's one more thing to consider, the vaccines aren't 100% effective. Eight people with the New York Yankees who are fully vaccinated have tested positive for COVID-19.
"What we're seeing about those infections is they tend to have a lower amount of virus," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. "They tend to be asymptomatic. They tend to be mild."
Health officials say being outside without a mask is safe for everyone, but children under 12 and those who are not vaccinated should be wearing masks inside, and remember different locations will have different requirements while the new CDC guidance is reviewed.
