Hot off the proverbial presses: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced today that fully vaccinated individuals can resume normal life activities without wearing masks or socially distancing. The CDC’s guidance is available here. Although it is certainly good news, the CDC’s guidance comes with several cautionary notes:
- An individual is only “fully vaccinated” when two weeks have passed from either their second vaccine dose (if they received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) or their first vaccine dose (if they received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine). Until such time, individuals should continue to wear masks and socially distance from others.
- Many state and local government agencies continue to impose mask and social distancing requirements. (See, for example, our write-up of Oregon OSHA’s final infection-control rules here and our write-up of mask requirements in multiple states here.) The CDC does not have the authority to overrule these state and local requirements, which means they continue in effect. It remains to be seen whether governments will revise their requirements in light of the CDC’s new guidance.
If you have any questions about the CDC’s guidance or any other questions about safe employment practices during the pandemic, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of our labor and employment attorneys. We are here to help.