People who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus can gather indoors unmasked with others who have been vaccinated. According to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, everyone who has been properly vaccinated can also visit unvaccinated people from one other household indoors without masks or distancing so long as the unvaccinated people are not at high risk for severe Covid-19.
As per the report, beneficiaries who come into contact with someone who has Covid-19 will not need to take a test or quarantine unless they show symptoms. However, those who live in a congregate setting like a nursing home or correctional facility may have to follow the Covid-19 rules.
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As many as 59 million Americans have now received one or more vaccine doses -- about 23 per cent of the adult population.
Who are considered fully vaccinated?
To fall under the category of fully vaccinated, the beneficiary will have to take their second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine-like Johnson & Johnson's.
Fully vaccinated people can:
Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe Covid-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
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Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
Take precautions in public like wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing
Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe Covid-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe Covid-19 disease
Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households
Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings
Get tested if experiencing Covid-19 symptoms
Follow guidance issued by individual employers
Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
At present, authorised vaccines in the United States are highly effective at protecting vaccinated people against symptomatic and severe Covid-19. Additionally, a growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have an asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others.
How long vaccine protection lasts and how much vaccines protect against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants?
It is still under investigation – Until more is known and vaccination coverage increases, some prevention measures will continue to be necessary for all people, regardless of vaccination status. However, the benefits of reducing social isolation and relaxing some measures such as quarantine requirements may outweigh the residual risk of fully vaccinated people becoming ill with Covid-19 or transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others.
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This guidance provides recommendations for fully vaccinated people, including:
How fully vaccinated people can safely visit with each other or with unvaccinated people in private settings
How fully vaccinated people should approach isolation, quarantine, and testing
In public spaces, fully vaccinated people should continue to follow guidance to protect themselves and others, including wearing a well-fitted mask, physical distancing (at least 6 feet), avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance.
