Fully vaccinated people can safely gather indoors without wearing masks or distancing under certain conditions, according to new guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second and final dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines or their lone dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
According to CDC guidance, fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask or distancing. They can also gather indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household, unless any of those people has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Additionally, the guidance states that fully vaccinated people who have been around someone who has COVID-19 do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless they have symptoms, with the exception of those who live in congregant settings.
Dr. Steven Stack, the state’s public health commissioner, said people should not throw caution to the wind and get careless with masking and distancing.
“If we do that, we run the risk of supercharging the pandemic,” he said.
Green River District Health Department Director Clay Horton offered similar advice.
“There is still a lot to be learned about how COVID-19 can or can not be spread in a vaccinated person,” he said. “We do know that vaccines are highly effective in preventing illness. But until most people in society have become vaccinated, we still need to be cautious. When in public we should continue to wear masks and keep our distance from others. We are close but it isn’t over yet. We shouldn’t let our guard down until more people have the chance to get vaccinated.”
The CDC guidance itself still warns fully vaccinated people to still use sound judgment on when it is or is not safe to take off a mask.
“We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19,” the guidance reads. “After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions in public places like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces until we know more.”
To determine which phase of Kentucky’s vaccination campaign you fall in and where vaccines are available statewide, click here.
