१३ मे, २०२१

"In a sharp turnabout from previous recommendations, federal health officials on Thursday advised that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of size."

The NYT reports. 

“The science is clear: If you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” the C.D.C. said in a statement on Thursday.

The new advice comes with caveats. Even vaccinated individuals must cover their faces and physically distance when going to doctors, hospitals or long-term care facilities like nursing homes; when traveling by bus, plane, train or other modes of public transportation, or while in transportation hubs like airports and bus stations; and when in prisons, jails or homeless shelters.

In deference to local authorities, the C.D.C. said vaccinated Americans must continue to abide by existing state, local, or tribal laws and regulations, and follow local rules for businesses and workplaces....

Great. I hope my locality takes the cue.  

It's about time that those of us who've taken the vaccination get a return on our willingness to participate. The tables need to turn, so that those who are holding back are incurring the burden. There's no difficulty getting a vaccine for yourself now, so it's become unreasonable to demand that the vaccinated limit our freedom for the sake of the unvaccinated. Incentivize progress.

UPDATE: Our local newspaper says:

Dane County’s local COVID-19 mask order will remain in effect at least until May 18 as officials review new guidance from the the Centers for Disease Control that loosened masking rules for vaccinated people. 

It takes 5 days just to think about this — this, the same thing they've been thinking about for months. I'd say it shows they don't care how much they hold back commerce, social life, and individual freedom. They should have been ready to receive the new CDC report and declare an end to the mask mandate immediately. If they could think of the idea that we need to wait until at least May 18th, they could think of the idea of ending the mandate. It's not complex, given all this time and the new CDC report. Pathetic!

३ टिप्पण्या:

Meade म्हणाले...

We have paid enough ransom. Enough is enough.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Charles writes: "I agree with you! Time for the vaccinated to be able to return to normalcy. And for the vaccine skeptic/resistors to be clearly and unequivocally informed that their vaccine resistance is holding them and all of the rest of us back. Just ask someone who is immune-compromised, and who is in the prime of her professional life, about what it’s like, living in a vaccine-resistant society. Something like a vaccine passport would work very nicely, don’t you think?"

No. I think we can get back to normal, and those who are at risk, because they have not been vaccinated, are the ones who need to take precautions and, if they can't/wont get vaccinated, take their own steps and work from home and order what they need to be delivered. There's no reason to go about proving things with papers (which can be faked anyway).

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Rockeye writes: "I'm going to go ahead and ask why the 'fully protected' need to wear masks at the doctor's office, hospitals, and in prisons. Either we are protected, or not. BTW, I'm a nurse who believes that vaccines work, and that we should heed the science that the CDC practices, and I have been doing so. I've been fully vaccinated for months as have most of my hospital coworkers, and I work with many of these people who just cannot get over the idea of needing a mask forever. It seems to almost be a badge of political affiliation, as were the "RESIST" bumper stickers seen during non-democrat presidential administrations. Using healthcare practices as political theatre isn't helping anyone."