Updated CDC Guidelines Relax Outdoor Mask Recommendations

For the vaccinated, the CDC is only recommending face masks outdoors for crowded situations like concerts or sporting events. And even for the not-yet-vaccinated, they’re relaxing outdoor masking guidelines.

We’re not going to have a snap-our-fingers moment when things suddenly “go back to normal”. It’s been a traumatic, dramatic year — and our path back to normalcy (even if it’s a new normal) will be incremental, one step at a time. Relaxing these requirements for outdoor masking is a great next step.

President Biden:

Because of the extraordinary progress we’ve made in the fight against COVID-19, the CDC made a big announcement today: If you are fully vaccinated — and if you are outdoors and not in a large crowd — you no longer need to wear a mask.

That’s keeping it simple: vaccinated, outdoors, not in a large crowd? No need for a mask.

See also: The New York Times on today’s updated CDC guidelines.

★ Tuesday, 27 April 2021