On May 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) released new COVID-19 guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. If you have been fully vaccinated, the CDC is now saying that you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic. You can also resume activities without wearing a mask or staying six feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. Additionally, if you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested before or after travel (nor self-quarantine.)
If you are planning on travelling internationally, however, the CDC has advised that you should still pay close attention to the conditions of your destination. But you no longer need to get tested before leaving the U.S. (unless required by your destination.) Negative test results or full recovery from COVID will still be required before flying into the U.S. The CDC still recommends getting tested three to five days after travelling internationally, but no longer recommends self-isolation when returning to the U.S. If you have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you no longer need to stay away from others or get tested unless you are experiencing symptoms.
“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
The CDC reported about 34,200 new cases Wednesday, May 12, a 23% decrease since the beginning of the week. The seven-day average of hospital admissions also decreased about 12% week-over-week. During the White House briefing, the CDC director also cited to two real-world studies that looked at 9,000 health care workers in United States and one real-world study from Israel suggesting fully vaccinated people are not likely to carry and spread the virus.
According to the New York Times, the CDC guidelines do not override mask orders issued by states, counties, or cities. Even fully vaccinated people are still told to cover their faces when flying or taking public transit or visiting health care facilities. While the CDC guidelines are relaxing, implementing these new guidelines is ultimately still up to the local and state level governments.
For any questions about how the new guidelines may affect you or your business, please contact the attorneys at Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC.