Ed note: Well, I ventured out Wednesday for a walk nearby–sans mask, following the updated CDC guidelines for fully vaccinated people. I felt guilty and strange seeing the masked faces of other walkers. Then I was yelled at for being maskless. So it’s going to take a while for everyone to get to a new comfort zone. There is a perception risk vs. a scientific risk. Can we cope with getting back toward normal?
Excerpts from the Seattle Times: “The eye-catching headline on Tuesday when the guidance was updated said people who are fully vaccinated could venture outside without a mask. “Fully vaccinated” means a person is two weeks removed from a second dose of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Despite the increase of COVID-19 cases, the state Department of Health supports the CDC’s decision and is following the updated guidelines.
“We believe this is welcome news,” said Umair Shah, the state’s secretary of health, during a news conference Wednesday. “As the pandemic evolves we too need to evolve. That means as the science evolves we too need to evolve.”
The more transmissible variant first identified in the United Kingdom now makes up between 60% and 70% of cases in Washington, Shah said.
The CDC’s stance on masks is a reflection of an improved understanding of how the disease spreads, its low transmission rate outdoors and how effective the vaccines are at protecting against the virus, said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, Public Health – Seattle & King County’s health officer.
“Most outdoor activities are unlikely to significantly contribute to COVID-19 spread in the community,” he wrote in an email. “In addition, vaccination is highly protective in both indoor and outdoor environments.”