NY State Reviewing CDC's Lifting Of Mask Mandate For Vaccinated

LONG ISLAND, NY — Although the federal Centers for Disease Control said Thursday that fully vaccinated people could forgo face coverings and social distancing in most places, both inside and outside, regardless of crowd size — New York State is still reviewing the decision, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

"In New York, we have always relied on the facts and the science to guide us throughout the worst of this pandemic and in our successful reopening," Cuomo said. "We have received the newly revised guidance from the CDC regarding mask-wearing and social distancing for those with vaccinations and are reviewing them in consultation with Dr. Howard Zucker and our partners and health experts in surrounding states."

According to the CDC, people still need to wear face coverings on airplanes, buses, trains and other public transportation, as well as in hospitals, and long-term care facilities.

"We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said Thursday in a White House COVID-19 briefing.

The CDC said that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or socially distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. In addition, fully vaccinated people can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter.

According to the new CDC guidance, fully vaccinated people also can:

• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States.
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings.
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic.
• Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible.

For now, the CDC added, fully vaccinated people should continue to:

• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.