• Health Department amends face coverings guidelines,

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Monday that it has amended its guidelines about face coverings for people who are fully vaccinated.

The amendment brings the state in line with federal guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are several activities that people can resume, according to the state and CDC, that are low risk “while being mindful of the potential risk of transmitting the virus to others.” Those activities include: • Visiting with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

• Visiting indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease without wearing masks or physical distancing.

• Refraining from quarantine and testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic.

“The vaccines that are currently available across the state and country are highly effective at protecting vaccinated people against severe and symptomatic COVID-19,” said acting state Health Secretary Alison Beam. “Research has shown that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others.

“However, there is still more to learn about how long protection lasts and how much vaccines protect against new variants of the virus, so some prevention measures will continue to be in place for all people, regardless of their vaccination status,” she said.

The amended order went into effect at 12:01 a.m Wednesday and will remain in effect until further notice.

Ms. Beam said fully vaccinated people must continue to take precautions in public, including wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing; avoiding mediumand large-size in-person gatherings; getting tested if they experience COVID-19 symptoms; following guidance issued by employers; and following travel requirements and recommendations.

People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID19 more than two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series or more than two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine, the state said.