CDC guidance allowing the fully vaccinated to remove masks arrives as Orange County vaccinates half its eligible residents
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Under guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, fully vaccinated people are free to do almost anything without wearing a facial covering, signaling a relative ending of one of the pandemic’s landmark restrictions.
In Florida, where businesses are banned by Gov. Ron DeSantis from requiring proof of vaccination, that means people will have no way of knowing if those not wearing masks are vaccinated or not. Businesses can still require masks to shop or visit them, regardless of one’s vaccination status. Masks are also required at federal facilities, airports and on public transportation.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he doesn’t expect all businesses in the region to remove their precautions immediately.
“Not everybody in this community is ready to remove their facial coverings,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who applauded the new guidelines from the CDC.
Half of Orange County residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, Demings said, though the number is likely several percentage points higher, as that doesn’t include those vaccinated at Veteran’s Affairs hospitals. Dr. Raul Pino, the local state health officer, estimated more like 56% are vaccainted.
The new guidance also “provides a carrot” for people to get fully vaccinated, said Dr. Michael Teng, a virologist at the University of South Florida.
“The data that has been coming in is pretty clear that people who have been vaccinated don’t seem to get infected,” said Teng said. “Removing this mask requirement is supported by the data.”
Vaccinated people can still contract the virus, though it’s rare, Teng said. It’s even rarer for a vaccinated person to show severe symptoms – if they have any at all.
Pino said since Orange County attracts millions of visitors annually, people should still take caution as the virus still circulates. In Orange County, 296 infections were reported Thursday.
“Precautions are going to be necessary,” Pino said. “But there has to be some kind of benefit to get vaccinated.”
Instead, containment efforts are shifting to rely on personal responsibility he said. People who aren’t vaccinated should still wear masks to protect themselves and vulnerable populations, he said.
“You can still bring that infection back home or pass it to someone who is immune-suppressed,” Pino said.
In Orlando, the nation’s theme park capital, crowds have been filling Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort for months, and Teng said vaccinated people face little risk in not wearing a mask outdoors at the parks. In some long lines, which snake inside buildings where people can be bottlenecked together, he said a mask still might be a good idea.
“Personally, the next time I go to a theme park, I will bring a mask,” he said. “I probably won’t wear it outside, but when I get inside, I’ll probably put a mask on.”
