COVID-19 masking order eased for the fully vaccinated
The state Health Department has eased portions of the COVID-19 mask wearing order for those who have been fully vaccinated against the virus.
Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said Monday that the fully vaccinated can visit indoors with others who have been fully vaccinated without wearing a mask or social distancing.
“Research has shown that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others,” Beam stated in a news release.
A person is considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna drugs. The Johnson & Johnson single dose can take up to 29 days to reach immunity. The changes to the order follow the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Beam said there is more to learn about the virus, that the fully vaccinated need to continue to follow masking rules in public and avoid large crowds.
The fully vaccinated can now visit a single household of low-risk individuals without masking or social distancing, Beam said. They also no longer need to quarantine or seek a COVID-19 test after a known exposure unless symptoms of the virus develop.
The virus has killed 24,789 Pennsylvanians in the past year after one new statewide death was reported Monday. There were no new deaths from the virus reported in Washington, Greene or Fayette counties.
Pennsylvania reported 1,578 new virus cases Monday, taking the cumulative total to 988,435. There were 25 counties in the state that were listed as substantial risk areas for the virus. New cases were on the rise over the past week, the Gov. Tom Wolf administration said.
Washington County added 16 new cases, taking its total to 14,484. There were no new cases reported in Greene. Fayette added 13 new cases to its total of 10,957.