SEATTLE — On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the mask guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated.
If you’re fully vaccinated, you can skip wearing a mask when you’re outside unless you’re in a large crowd.
“These are scientifically good, backed-up evidence-based recommendations,” said Dr. John Lynch of UW Medicine. “The take here is if you’re outdoors and not in a big group of people and you’re vaccinated, you don’t need to wear a mask.”
Dr. John Lynch of UW medicine said it shows how much protection the vaccines offer.
That also means you can sit outside at a restaurant with people from different households and not wear a mask if you’re fully vaccinated.
The CDC has been studying the data.
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“As we get more data on patients who have been vaccinated, and we look at transmission patterns, we see there really is not a lot of transmission in the outdoor space,” said Dr. Peter Barkett of Kaiser Permanente.
The adjustment comes as the weather warms up. With some hesitant to get vaccinated, loosening the mask-wearing requirements could help.
“I’m hoping it’s going to be a little more of a carrot where people are going to say, ‘That’s what I want,’” said Lynch.
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