On Thursday, May 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an update that those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting.
President Joe Biden tweeted this advocating that people take the vaccine or remained masked until they do.
Folks, if you’re fully vaccinated — you no longer need to wear a mask.
If you’re not vaccinated yet — go to https://t.co/4MYpWqXVVo to find a shot, and mask up until you’re fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/qcyG2WyCG2
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 13, 2021
(@POTUS/Twitter)
What does it mean when a person is fully vaccinated?
According to the CDC, “people are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen)”.
So, this means that if you have not been injected by a vaccine that is authorized by the following, then you are not considered as vaccinated:
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines, or the
- World Health Organization (WHO): AstraZeneca/Oxford,
Click Guidance for Fully Vaccinated People to learn more about it.
(Credit: CDC)
Okay, so here goes my question:
What about here in the Truth North?
During the press conference on May 13, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo said that here in Canada, we will focus on a collective, community approach instead. He mentioned that the Canadians will not be following what the U.S. did in terms of lifting restrictions on masks and physical distancing for fully vaccinated people against COVID-19.
He stated, “For something like the face masks, I would say that would be probably one of the last things to go… I think it’s a good practice to keep on right until the fall until hopefully, everyone will have received hopefully two doses by September”.
So, long story short, you have to remain masked in Canada even if you have been fully vaccinated.
Not that you asked but, I honestly think that taking the community approach to this is better. If you want to be partying like Australia, I feel that this might be the way to go.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m asthmatic and I can’t wait for this to be over.
But we just gotta be patient— you and me… we’re all in this together.
Keep calm and Goosfraba!
(Bill Rosati/YouTube)
Do you think it’s a good move to go the collective approach? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.