New York — New York is adopting new guidance from the federal government that will allow people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to largely stop wearing masks in nearly all settings.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the new mask guidelines last week. It allows fully vaccinated people to stop wearing masks outdoors and indoors, even in large crowds. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today New York will adopt the CDC guidance starting Wednesday.
“If you are vaccinated, you are safe,” Cuomo said during a press conference in New York City. “No masks. No social distancing.”
READ MORE: NY ends mask mandate for the vaccinated. Will businesses do the same?
Businesses and other private entities will continue to be allowed to set their own rules, he added. Stores and companies will still be able to mandate masks if they want to, but they won’t be required to by the state.
Unvaccinated people must continue to wear masks. People with comprised immune systems should also continue to wear them, Cuomo said.
Masks will also still be required for all people in schools, nursing homes, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, health care facilities and on public transportation.
The state won’t police how businesses confirm whether someone is vaccinated, Cuomo said. That will be up to them.
The state’s Excelsior Pass is one option for private entities that require vaccines, Cuomo said. The system uses a smartphone app to confirm a user’s vaccination status, which can then be securely shared with businesses that require shots.
Simply because the state is ending mask requirements for many people doesn’t mean they’ll disappear overnight, Cuomo added.
“I expect there are going to be a lot of people who are not just going to flick a switch and be done with this,” he said. “I think there’s going to be lingering concern. I think you’re going to see a lot of people wearing masks going forward.”
Fully vaccinated people are those who have had at least two weeks pass since second doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot.
Following the CDC’s announcement of the new guidance last week, multiple large retail chains said they would end their mask requirements as long as state or local rules didn’t require them.
Walmart, Costco, Target, CVS, Starbucks and Trader Joe’s are among those that have eased or ended mask requirements for some people.
Others, including Walgreens, Ulta and Gap, are studying the new guidelines.
Wegmans was still requiring masks as of earlier this morning, but a spokeswoman said the company was reviewing the CDC guidelines and waiting for more state and local guidance.
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS
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What Onondaga County’s top health officer will, and won’t, do under new mask rules
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