Washington, D.C., has dropped its mask mandate for individuals who have received both doses of their coronavirus vaccinations.
Fully vaccinated individuals can “gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask or staying six (6) feet apart,” according to a new order signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser — which went into effect immediately.
According to the order, vaccinated individuals include any people who have received their coronavirus vaccination series more than 14 days ago or have received a single-dose vaccine such as the one from Johnson & Johnson 14 days ago.
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There were also special permissions opened up for fully vaccinated individuals who seek to travel during the pandemic.
Such individuals can “travel in the United States without pre-departure, post-arrival, or post-returning testing for COVID-19, [and can] travel internationally without getting tested beforehand or self-quarantining afterwards unless the destination country requires such testing before arrival.”
Big move overnight: DC appears to drop indoor mask mandate for those vaccinated.
They can require folks to show their vaccine card as proof but Mayors new edict says “masks OR fully vaccinated” for indoor. pic.twitter.com/0NqIAxq7GX
— Brian Sullivan (@SullyCNBC) May 1, 2021
Despite mostly reopening the district to fully vaccinated peoples, the order does provide some exceptions.
Fully vaccinated individuals “must wear a mask” if they are in a common housing area, such as an apartment or a condominium. Also, vaccinated individuals must wear a mask if “businesses, office buildings, or other establishments” require doing so.
A similar list of guidelines published by the mayor’s office said there might be times in which fully vaccinated individuals should exercise caution, especially when in public spaces or any place where an undetermined number of unvaccinated individuals could be.
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“Fully vaccinated people should continue to avoid: crowded settings, large gatherings in any setting, indoor settings with poor ventilation,” the guidelines said.
The guidelines also provide instructions for “fully vaccinated people … after they test positive.”
“Fully vaccinated people should isolate for 10 days after they test positive” but “generally do not need to quarantine, be restricted from work, or be tested if they have a close contact exposure to someone with COVID-19, as long as they don’t have symptoms.”
