Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday it is OK for fully vaccinated people to take off their masks outside unless they are in a “completely crowded” place.
Vaccinated persons in some places have been hesitant to take off their face coverings in public outdoors, either out of habit or because they fear social judgment.
“We’ve got to make that transition,” Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CBS’s “This Morning.” “If you are vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask outside.”
“It would be a very unusual situation, if you were going into a completely crowded situation where people are essentially falling all over each other, then you wear a mask,” he said. “But any other time, if you’re vaccinated and you’re outside, put aside your mask. You don’t have to wear it.”
A person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson or the second dose of a vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
Dr. Fauci’s advice largely comports with guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but offered a streamlined version for everyday folks.
The CDC’s tip sheets break down guidance into certain scenarios, like outdoor dining or small gatherings, making it unclear if settings between the lines — a parking lot, say — would count.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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