PA Updates Face Mask Order: What To Know

HARRISBURG, PA —Pennsylvania on Monday announced it has updated its order on face mask requirements to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for fully vaccinated people.

People are considered fully vaccinated 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.

Fully vaccinated people now can resume:

• Visiting with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.
• Visiting unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe coronavirus disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

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

As of Saturday, nearly 1.5 million Pennsylvanians have been fully vaccinated.

"Vaccines that are currently available across the state and country are highly effective at protecting vaccinated people against severe and symptomatic COVID-19,” acting state health department secretary Alison Beam said in a news release. “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."

Beam emphasized that fully vaccinated people still must take precautions in public like wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing; avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings; get tested if they experience COVID-19 symptoms; follow guidance issued by employers; and follow travel requirements and recommendations.

Beam said that current mitigation orders are still in effect and that physical distancing and capacity requirements for gatherings must still be followed.

For more information on how to get a coronavirus vaccine in Pennsylvania, visit Patch's information hub.