Yahoo Finance CDC says you can ditch your mask. Not so fast, Florida. What do the rules mean for you?
So the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new recommendations that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 “can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing.”
That’s what CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday, citing the effectiveness of the vaccines used against the novel coronavirus and improvements in daily numbers of cases, deaths and hospitalizations.
President Biden responded in kind at a White House briefing. Hours after Biden’s administration said that fully vaccinated people are largely — but not totally — free to go maskless, Miami-Dade’s mayor declared an end to mandatory masks at county buildings.
Throughout this pandemic our community stayed strong. You summoned the best of Miami-Dade and together we proved there is no challenge too great. It's because of you – and all that you have sacrificed – that today I'm proud to report we are almost at the finish line. pic.twitter.com/ROyRSNiYKO
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) May 13, 2021
“We have nearly weathered this once-in-a century crisis. ... This is truly the day we have been waiting for,” Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a video message Thursday night. “And I feel more confident than ever that we are reaching the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.”
So, to all those who waited in lines, worked your computers to get an appointment the way Stevie Wonder works a keyboard and took the single dose Johnson & Johnson or the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna and waited two weeks afterward to be considered fully vaccinated: Toss that mask in the trash and wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care.
Right?
Not so fast.
Is it really safe to ditch masks if fully vaccinated? Experts split on new CDC guidance
You’ve got questions. We’ve got some answers.
Do you have to wear a mask when traveling?
Yes. The new CDC guidelines say that masks are still required when traveling in any public conveyance. This means keep the mask on regardless of vaccination status while traveling on planes, buses and trains.
What about Metrorail and Metromover?
Yes. Those are public transportation systems. Mayor Levine Cava did not tell you to ditch the masks there.
What about Miami International Airport or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport?
Even if you're fully vaccinated, face masks are still required to be worn during travel when inside #FLL and onboard flights per federal law. So kindly #maskup when next you travel for everyone's safety. https://t.co/4f2ASmZ7ra, https://t.co/xMDlUVrrbK #FLLySaferSmarterBetter pic.twitter.com/VW5VOgMqNl
— Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int'l Airport (FLL) (@FLLFlyer) May 14, 2021
You’re flying. You’re masking. Same thing inside the airports, the concourses and airport stores and eateries. Those are public transportation places.
A Transportation Security Administration’s federal mask mandate remains in effect through September for planes, trains and buses, USA Today reports.
I want to visit Mom at the nursing home. Mask?
Yes. She still can’t see your beautiful face just yet. The CDC still recommends the wearing of masks inside healthcare settings.
Does this apply at hospitals? Your doctor’s office?
Yes. Healthcare setting.
I’m visiting an inmate at a South Florida correctional facility. Mask on? Mask off?
Mask on. The CDC kept the recommendation in place for all correctional facilities.
Going to the library. To mask or not?
In Levine Cava’s message Thursday, she said that masks will no longer be required at county buildings. A library is part of the county system. That said, she’s “still recommending people wear a mask and social distance at Miami-Dade County facilities.”
What about schools?
M-DCPS to discuss mask wearing with experts as schools, pharmacies give Pfizer vaccine to children 12 and older – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale https://t.co/ZqbHfBSfg4
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@MiamiSup) May 14, 2021
Thursday’s about-face is giving South Florida school leaders a new assignment.
At a news conference alongside Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he, too, was to convene and talk with the mayor’s medical advisor, Dr. Peter Paige, as well as with the school’s Public Health and Medical Experts Task Force. That body is made up of medical experts at institutions including Florida International University and University of Miami, he told WSVN, adding that schools could see changes as early as the summer session.
“The protocols may be different, but we find it important to first consult with our medical experts,” he said at the briefing. “We hope to have a decision regarding the use of masks in our facilities very soon.”
I’m going to the store. Do I need to wear a mask and avoid the customer next to me in the aisle?
This is where it gets confusing. The Miami-Dade mayor alluded to the confusion when she urged caution.
“In consultation with our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Paige and our panel of medical experts I am no long mandating but still recommending that you wear a mask and social distance at Miami-Dade facilities,” she said. “About 50% of our 16-plus have been vaccinated but since we don’t know who has or who hasn’t been vaccinated we urge that you practice common sense and continue following masking and other precautions if you are not vaccinated.”
What about Publix?
Publix eases mask mandates for vaccinated workers and shoppers
Fully vaccinated shoppers and workers will no longer have to wear masks inside Publix supermarkets starting Saturday, May 15.
The Publix announcement said “those who are not fully vaccinated are required to use face coverings over their noses and mouths while inside any Publix store.”
Masks would also be required in stores located in states or local municipalities that require them.
The announcement, released by spokeswoman Maria Brous, did not say if proof of vaccination is required to enter Publix supermarkets or if customers would be asked their status.
What about Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más?
Southeastern Grocers announced that its Winn-Dixie and Fresco y Más stores won’t require fully vaccinated customers and employees to wear masks as of May 15. (The retailer also owns Harveys Supermarket, which has several stores in Jacksonville.) Non-vaccinated people are still required to mask up, but Southeastern is relying on the “honor system” where that is concerned, CBS4 reported..
What about Aldi?
One of Publix’s competitors, Aldi, was still requiring face masks inside its stores.
Listen to today's top stories from the Miami Herald:
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | More options
What about Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s?
Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s are dropping mask requirement for vaccinated people
People who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear face masks at Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s.
What about Target?
Customers and employees who are fully vaccinated will no longer need to wear a mask at Target, according to McClatchy News. The retail chain on Friday initially announced Friday that it was keeping its mask requirements but then updated its policies Monday, May 17.
It is encouraging anyone who has not been fully vaccinated to continue wearing masks.
What about pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens?
CVS said in a statement to McClatchy News it is evaluating its in-store mask policy but currently still requires face masks.
“The safety of our employees and customers will continue to guide our decision-making process,” a CVS spokesperson said.
Similarly, because Walgreen’s is a COVID-19 vaccination and testing center, it is keeping its mask policies in place “for the time being,” a spokesperson told McClatchy News.
“The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority and will continue to guide our decision process.”
I miss sitting at Starbucks. Can I do it mask free?
You can sit inside a Starbucks without facial covering if you’re fully vaccinated, the company announced, setting Monday, May 17, as the date the new COVID policy goes into effect. Local regulations still apply.
Some store appearances may not change quite yet. “As we continue to ensure the health and well-being of our partners and customers, our restrooms generally remain temporarily closed to the public in stores where the café or café seating is unavailable.”
What about Disney, Universal and SeaWorld?
Taking a vacation to your favorite theme park in Orlando? Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld all dropped their outdoors mask rules, The Orlando Sentinel reported.
But you have to keep your masks on when indoors and on transportation at the parks.
But some private businesses may have relaxed the rules. Can they?
“To private businesses, continue to make your own decisions on how best to keep your workers and your customers safe,” Levine Cava said Thursday.
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, for example, has started offering live entertainment again on its stages, albeit with modifications. “For shows taking place currently at our theaters, seating capacity is approximately 30% of normal capacity to allow for physical distancing,” said Kelley Shanley, Broward Center’s president and CEO. “Facial coverings are required unless patrons are consuming food or beverages in a designated seating area.”
Fred Astaire Dance Studios, which has a Coral Gables location, sent an email to its patrons on May 14 to tell of its new policy.
The studio’s statement read: “Hello lovely students, in regards to mask mandates, we have been doing everything in our power to follow CDC guidelines. Being that the mask mandate has been lifted for those who are vaccinated, we understand everyone’s comfort level is different in response to mask-free contact. Please know that we will work to accommodate meeting your comfort level. Moving forward, if you would prefer that your instructor wear a mask, we are happy to do so, please let us know in advance of your dance session.”
So some places are. Others not. We feel your frustration as the pathway to (a new) normalcy evolves.
“We’re creating a situation where private companies or individuals are responsible for their business and finding out if people are vaccinated — if they’re even going to be enforcing that,” Rachael Piltch-Loeb, associate research scientist at New York University School of Global Public Health, told USA Today.
This article will be updated as new information becomes available.
Miami Herald staff writer Michelle Marchante contributed to this report.
