Written by Juan Sebastian Fragozo
The Center for Disease Control has changed its guidelines, saying that people can safely gather outside without a face covering. The pandemic has everyone in the world exhausted, especially the citizens of states such as California, with a government that has restricted life in ways unimaginable. Most of the policies Governor Newsom has implemented are not backed by data or science.
“Today, I hope, is a day when we can take another step back to the normalcy of before,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.
The CDC still says that unvaccinated people should take extra care, like wearing masks at outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. They are also advised to keep their faces covered when dining at outdoor restaurants with friends from multiple households as a precaution.
“The timing is right because we now have a fair amount of data about the scenarios where transmission occurs,” said Mercedes Carnethon, a professor and vice-chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Scientists and academics agree that this will be an incentive for people to get vaccinated. The CDC also hopes these guidelines will help states address the face-covering requirements in each jurisdiction.
California has updated its COVID-19 restrictions to align with the CDC’s guidance, meaning vaccinated Californians are no longer required to wear face masks outdoors.
Photo via CDC
