Lifting face mask mandate ‘significant milestone,’ doctor says
Centers for Disease Control recommendations include wearing face coverings in public if a child is over 2 years old.
Marc Itskowitz
In a monumental moment in the battle against COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday lifted indoor face mask and social distancing mandates for people who are fully vaccinated.
“Yesterday’s announcement represents a significant milestone, and a culmination of months of vaccinations that have proven to be highly effective,” said Dr. Marc Itskowitz, internal medicine physician at Allegheny Health Network. “It represents one of the final steps to end this pandemic.”
An email statement issued by Monongahela Valley Hospital said, “Monongahela Valley Hospital is happy those who are vaccinated can begin to return to pre-pandemic life.”
For fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians – people two weeks out from their second Pfizer or Moderna shot, or from their Johnson & Johnson shot – that means they can, in most cases, return to life as normal without masks or social distancing, Itskowitz said.
“If they’re fully vaccinated, they should feel confident they are protected and they can essentially go without masking, except in case they are in a location that requires it,” said Itskowitz.
The guidance still calls for wearing masks on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, and in airports and train stations.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Friday that everyone should still follow guidance at workplaces, local businesses, long-term care facilities, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters.
The CDC cautioned these new guidelines are only for those who have been vaccinated. Those who are not should still mask up. Once 70% of Pennsylvanians over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated, the commonwealth will lift its masking order.
As of Friday, nearly 48% of adults 18 and older are fully vaccinated in Pennsylvania, according to the DOH.
Itskowitz also cautioned that those who are immunosuppressed and at high risk should still wear masks, even if they’ve had the full vaccination.
The new guidance, however, could cause some confusion, since there is no clear way for people to distinguish between those who are fully vaccinated and those who are not.
One former Washington County resident said via an informal Facebook poll she will continue to wear her mask for a while, even though she’s fully vaccinated, while another worried that lifting the face mask guideline too early could cause a rise in COVID rates due to variants.
A third respondent said vaccines, including the polio vaccine, have proven to work, so he will continue to follow the guidance of medical experts.
Others said the CDC’s information has been too inconsistent throughout the pandemic, and they have little trust in government agencies.
Itskowitz said it’s still important for people who have not been vaccinated to get the vaccine.
Doctors say the science shows that those who aren’t vaccinated remain at risk of mild or severe illness, or death, or risk spreading the virus to others.
“People should continue to encourage friends and family to get vaccinated. It’s important for decreasing the spread of the virus, and also to resume normal activities,” said Itskowitz. “It’s important for them to get vaccinated to protect themselves and those around them.”
Also, noted Itskowitz, while the virus is circulating at low levels, doctors believe those numbers will increase in winter and fall.
“Hopefully, we will continue to see a decrease in the number of cases. This virus, at times, has surprised doctors,” said Itskowitz. “We’re very hopeful we’re in the final stages of the pandemic.”