People in New York Must Continue to Wear Masks, Despite CDC
Don't get too excited just yet. Despite the CDC's recommendation, all New Yorkers must continue to wear a mask. For now.
On Thursday, the CDC announced fully vaccinated Americans can ditch masks in most indoor and outdoor settings.
"COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic," the CDC states in its new guidance.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters that people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or physically distance in most circumstances, indoors or outdoors.
"Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physically distancing," Walensky said. "If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic."
The CDC says its safe for fully vaccinated people to do the following activities without a mask:
- Walk, run, wheelchair roll, or bike outdoors with members of your household
- Attend a small, outdoor gathering with fully vaccinated family and friends
- Attend a small, outdoor gathering with fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Dine at an outdoor restaurant with friends from multiple households
- Attend a crowded, outdoor event, like a live performance, parade, or sports event
- Visit a barber or hair salon
- Go to an uncrowded, indoor shopping center or museum
- Attend a small, indoor gathering of fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people from multiple households
- Go to an indoor movie theater
- Attend a full-capacity worship service
- Sing in an indoor chorus
- Eat at an indoor restaurant or bar
- Participate in an indoor, high intensity exercise class
Unvaccinated Americans must continue to wear a mask.
Masks are still recommended for all in crowded indoor settings and hospitals, airplanes, buses and trains. Those with compromised immune systems are told to speak with their doctors about masks and social distancing.
"It's a great day for America," President Biden said.
It is a great day for most of America. Just not yet for New York residents. That's because New York State has its own mask mandate which actually supersedes any CDC recommendation. In the past, Cuomo's office has reviewed guidance from the CDC and then Cuomo issues his own guidance for Empire State residents to follow. Most of the time, New York's guidance follows the CDC.
Lawmakers in the Hudson Valley are calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take immediate action and allow New Yorkers to follow the CDC's updated guidelines.
"I’m calling on the Governor and State of NY to take immediate action to comply with the CDC guidance," Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro tweeted.
On Thursday around 5:20 p.m., Gov Cuomo released a statement and said his team needs time to review the new CDC guidance.
"In New York, we have always relied on the facts and the science to guide us throughout the worst of this pandemic and in our successful reopening. We have received the newly revised guidance from the CDC regarding mask wearing and social distancing for those with vaccinations and are reviewing them in consultation with Dr. Zucker and our partners and health experts in surrounding states," Cuomo stated.