The top 12 questions on mask guidelines

CDC: Fully vaccinated can go without them

The announcement Thursday that the country would be entering a new chapter in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has led to confusion about who is affected and how quickly life as we’ve known it the last 15 months will change.

“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing on Thursday. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”

But what about children? Businesses? Schools? Families with immunocompromised relatives? More information will come, but here’s what we know now:

What does ‘fully vaccinated’ mean?

According to the CDC, you are fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC says the evidence is clear that vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease. There is also reliable evidence that the vaccines lower the risk of people spreading the disease if they contract it.

There are things experts say they still don’t know, including:

• How the vaccines work against certain COVID-19 variants. Early data shows the shots may work better against some mutations than others.

• How well the shots protect people with compromised immune systems and those on immunosuppressive medications.

• How long the protection from the vaccines last.

Will I still need a mask on occasion?

CDC guidelines say fully vaccinated people must still wear a mask in health care settings, transportation hubs such as airports and stations, and public transportation. That includes planes, buses and trains traveling into, within or outside the U.S. as part of a federal mask mandate that was extended to Sept. 13.

The agency also said fully vaccinated people must wear a mask or socially distance in places required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

The City of Milwaukee’s local mask mandate remains in place for people regardless of vaccination status. City officials are considering potential changes in light of the new CDC guidance.

“The CDC announcement yesterday took us all by surprise, so we’re currently having internal conversations about what this will mean for the City of Milwaukee,” city Health Department spokeswoman Emily Tau said in an email Friday. “We appreciate the patience by the public as we determine the best course of action to keep our community safe.”

How will mask guidelines be enforced?

It’s fair to say figuring out the new guidance poses a challenge for schools and businesses looking to enforce a rule that only vaccinated people can go without a mask. It’s impossible to know for sure if someone is fully vaccinated without asking to look at their vaccination card.

Masking is a politically charged subject, and inquiring about vaccination status could fuel debate in an already divided country.

Tom Smith, store manager at the Green Bay Exclusive Co., said masks will continue to be required in-store regardless of the CDC’s most recent recommendations.

“For now, we’re still gonna have masks because we don’t want to be in the business of having to ask people to prove if they got vaccinated,” Smith said.

Why lift the mask mandate now?

The agency said its decision to update its guidelines for fully vaccinated people stems from the steady decline of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, and the promising data that demonstrates the COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness.

The CDC reported about 34,200 new cases Wednesday, a 23% decrease since Sunday. The seven-day average of hospital admissions also decreased about 12% from the previous sevenday average.

However, health experts say coronavirus cases are still spiking in some parts of the country as vaccination rates have slowed and only about 35% of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated.

What are trends in Wisconsin, both on cases and vaccines?

The seven-day average of daily COVID-19 cases declined for the 11th consecutive day Thursday, as the average of daily vaccine doses continued to drop as well.

State Department of Health Services data shows the seven-day average of COVID-19 cases declined to 466 on Thursday, down 328 from a month ago.

Average daily deaths continue to remain higher than a month ago. The state reported a sevenday average of 11 deaths on Thursday, up five deaths from one month ago.

As of Thursday, 2.6 million Wisconsinites have received at least one vaccine dose, 44.8% of the state population.

But the numbers swing wildly from county to county. In Dane and Door counties, more than 60% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose, according to the DHS. In Clark, Taylor and Rusk counties, barely one-quarter of the population has received at least one dose.

Further, fewer than 30% of Black, American Indian and Hispanic residents have received at least one dose. Rates are particularly low among Black people, at 21%, according to the DHS.

Will Wisconsin businesses continue to require masks to be worn inside?

Some business owners may follow CDC guidelines, but others may be more reluctant to lift their own rules on masking.

The Milwaukee-based Roundy’s division of the Kroger Co., which operates 106 Pick n’ Save and Metro Market stores in Wisconsin and serves 1 million people a week, said it will be keeping masking requirements as it continues to encourage employees to get vaccinated.

Nationally, Target, Walmart and CVS also are not doing away with their mask requirements just yet but are reviewing their policies. Starbucks still has a mask requirement in place. On Friday afternoon, Trader Joe’s became one of the first national chains to drop its mask requirement.

Can you get kicked out of a store for not wearing a mask?

The guidance from the CDC is different from a law. Businesses can enforce rules as they see fit within their stores. If you don’t follow the rules that are set, the business has the right to refuse to serve you.

I am fully vaccinated but I live with someone who is immunocompromised. Should I keep masking in public?

While there is plenty of information floating around about what vaccinated people can and cannot do, it may feel like there’s more ambiguity around what all this means for people who are not vaccinated or who live with someone who can’t get the vaccine or for whom the vaccine may not give as strong protection.

Experts say when in doubt, err on the side of caution and talk to your doctor. The lifting of a mask mandate does not mean you have to stop wearing a mask if you feel it will protect you or a loved one.

“The goal in all decisions is to minimize risk,” said Patrick Remington, an epidemiologist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who formerly worked for the CDC.

“Assuming that the person who is immunocompromised is not able to be vaccinated, then it would be prudent for you to reduce your risk as much as possible, by continuing to wear a mask in public.”

I have children under the age of 12. Should they keep wearing masks outside the house?

The new masking guidance only applies to fully vaccinated people. Children under 12 should keep wearing a mask in all indoor settings, in line with local public health guidelines. That includes continuing to wear masks in school.

Parents who are fully vaccinated don’t need to wear masks even if their children under 12 are not vaccinated.

Amanda Simanek, an associate professor of epidemiology at UWM’s School of Public Health, said unvaccinated adults and children can use the “2 out of 3 rule” to determine if they need to mask.

“With this rule, you just need to make sure you meet 2 of 3 conditions: being outdoors, distanced and/or masked,” she said.

What are schools doing?

Milwaukee Public Schools is keeping its mask mandate for all students, spokesman Earl Arms said Friday.

Across the state, schools have taken a patchwork approach to masking rules since the state Supreme Court shot down Gov. Tony Evers’ state-level mandate. Time will tell how the new guidance will change things further.

The CDC’s recommendation is still that unvaccinated people — including children under 12 — wear masks indoors.

Can the CDC bring back mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people?

The CDC said it’s possible masking guidelines may return for fully vaccinated people in the future if vaccination rates decrease and coronavirus transmission increases.

The USA Today Network contributed to this report, as did Rory Linnane, Ricardo Torres and Alison Dirr of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Contact Devi Shastri at 414-224-2193 or DAShastri@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DeviShastri.