The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, in English) relaxed its recommendations on the use of a coronavirus mask outdoors on Tuesday, given the advance of vaccination in the United States.
These are the updates from the CDC:
The
persons fully vaccinated not need to
wear masks outside
if they are gathered in small groups.
The
activities outdoors are safe without a
mask
, regardless of whether a person is vaccinated or not, whenever you are alone or with members of their immediate family.
The
fully vaccinated people can go without a
mask when dining in restaurants the outdoors
with people in other households, although
unvaccinated people should stay mask
as far as possible.
All people, even those who are fully vaccinated, should continue to wear a mask when
attending large
outdoor events
, such as concerts or sporting events, indoor church services, and indoor gyms.
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"We are excited about the progress we have made and the opportunity that lies ahead, and thanks to the vaccination program we have built we are further along than almost everyone predicted," said the White House COVID-19 coordinator, Jeff Zients, in an interview this Monday.
"It means we are closer to getting back to normal," he added.
So far, almost 30% of citizens in the United States have already received two doses of vaccine, and 42.5%, a single dose, according to the latest data from the CDC.
What does the current guide say?
Until now, the CDC recommended wearing a mask in public for everyone 2 years of age and older, except if they have trouble breathing.
They added however that "they may not be necessary when you are alone outside, away from other people, or with people living at home."
This guide states that the minimum safe distance should be 6 feet away (1.8 meters).
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As of February 2 of this year, the use of a mask was made mandatory on airplanes, buses, trains and other means of public transport, as well as at airports and stations.
Why (and under what circumstances) the mask is still necessary
"The mask is still one of the best strategies we have to reduce and prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID-19," Dr. José Montero, CDC's deputy administrator for incident management, told Noticias Telemundo last Friday.
A study published in November in the
Journal of Infectious Diseases
revealed that the chances of transmission of the virus are 18.7 times greater indoors than outdoors, and that less than 10% of the infections studied occurred outdoors.
With information from AP, CNBC and CNN.
