(CNN) – Days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that Fully vaccinated Americans, for the most part, can stop wearing the maskMore and more places are announcing changes in their face cover usage policies or removing the requirement entirely.
CVS and Target pharmacy said Monday that they will no longer require fully vaccinated customers to wear masks inside their stores unless local leaders request it, and join other companies that have dropped mask mandates for those who received their vaccines.
Target said in a. “Face coverings will continue to be used heavily for clients and team members who are not fully vaccinated.” Release. CVS unprotected clients are required to continue wearing face masks.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced that fully vaccinated people will no longer have to wear masks in many places, with exceptions at schools, healthcare facilities and transportation hubs.
“If they are not vaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated, we need them to continue to protect themselves,” Boozer said on Monday.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that New York will, starting from Wednesday, adopt guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will not require masks or social distancing for people who have been fully vaccinated.
But experts are concerned about the rapid changes and say that without verification systems, some parts of the country must now rely on the honor system to ensure that vulnerable Americans are covered – one that some say does not work.
“I say this about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but we really have to go back to the point where we encourage (people) to get vaccinated and more of this approach rather than celebrating our new freedoms,” said the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. . , To CNN on Monday. Mayor Quinton Lucas said, “Because the honor system doesn’t work here, I don’t think it will work in many parts of this country.”
The mayor said local officials are now concerned about how to proceed.
“It creates these kinds of challenges where how does the store clerk review it? How does our Department of Health actually enforce any rules? So, while I respect the many jurisdictions that deal with it, I really believe that adhering to (the CDC directives) is a challenge for us. “, The mayor said.
Some state and local leaders are clinging to face masks
Other leaders were not in a hurry to deviate from the requirement to wear masks.
While Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared the end of the state’s mask state last week, health officials in Baltimore announced that local authorization would remain in effect until at least 65% of adults in Baltimore had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. .
In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order Monday that repealed requirements for masks for outdoor public spaces, but maintained requirements for indoor public spaces and workplaces.
Outdoor environments present less risk of virus transmission than indoor environments, and raising the mandate of the indoor mask at this time may increase transmission among those who have not yet been fully vaccinated, including children who have not yet qualified or who have recently become, Murphy said in a statement.
He added: “As we approach the goal of vaccination in the coming weeks, we hope that we will be able to safely and quickly get rid of the internal mask requirements.”
Authorities said California also plans to maintain its mandate for masks for indoor activities for another month. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Galley announced Monday that the state’s face covering rule for fully vaccinated residents will be lifted on June 15th.
“This four-week period will give California residents time to prepare for this change, as we continue to focus relentlessly on introducing the vaccine, especially to disadvantaged communities and those that have been severely affected during this pandemic,” said Ghali.
Vaccine efforts are continuing
To date, about 47.5% of the US population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and about 37.3% of the entire US population has been vaccinated, according to data from the US. Center for Disease Control.
One expert said she expects about 20-25% of Americans to not be vaccinated, but says she has not lost hope in all people who have not yet received the vaccine.
“It’s still going on on the ground, it’s about going door to door, it’s about winning trusted community leaders,” said Dr. Megan Raney on Monday. For example, he said, if people are offered the vaccine directly, they often agree to receive it.
“If we do that, we will have a large percentage of people who have not yet been vaccinated,” he added.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also asking companies to help support workers getting vaccinated, Director Dr. Rochelle Wallinski told CNN earlier this week.
“We are really asking companies to work with their employees to make sure they have paid time off to get vaccinated and that they are safe,” said Walinsky.
Expert: The epidemic will not end in the United States until it ends globally
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said on Monday that his administration will share millions of additional doses of Covid-19 vaccines with other countries, in addition to the 60 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that it has already pledged to share on July 4.
The president said that the United States will share at least 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of next month, for a total of 80 million doses that will be shipped overseas.
The additional 20 million doses will include vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, as well as AstraZeneca, which must be approved by federal regulators before shipping abroad. This effort is underway.
“What they announced today is really important,” former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden told CNN on Monday. “This epidemic will not end for the United States until it ends globally.”
Biden also said Monday’s announcement was his administration’s latest effort to ramp up efforts abroad and work with other world leaders to end the pandemic, and said he hoped to announce progress to defeat the pandemic abroad at the summit.
Alison Kosik, Caitlan Collins, Kate Sullivan, Naomi Thomas, Rebecca Rees, Kay Jones, and Aaron Peelish of CNN contributed to this report.
