There’s a lot of confusion around mask recommendations and mandates, especially as the delta variant continues to spread throughout the country and students return to classrooms.
We pulled together the latest information from trusted sources to help you sort through the noise.
Who is saying what?
• The CDC recently updated its masking guidance for K-12 schools, recommending universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors regardless of vaccination status.
• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a new mask mandate for schools less than a day before several districts in the state welcomed kids back to class.
• The Ohio Department of Health strongly recommends that individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated wear masks consistently. The department is not requiring masks at K-12 schools.
• In addition to schools, more businesses are requiring masks inside again.
UPDATED:Here’s which Southwest Ohio school districts are requiring masks this fall
Employer mandates:Your boss may order a COVID-19 vaccine for your job
CDC mask guidelines
- Those who are not fully vaccinated and aged 2 or older should wear a mask in indoor public places.
- In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings.
- In areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
- People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated. They should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask, until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.
- Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Travelers are not required to wear a mask in outdoor conveyance areas (like on open deck areas of a ferry or the uncovered top deck of a bus).
If you are fully vaccinated
To maximize protection from the delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.
All of the 16 counties in the Cincinnati region are at the highest level of coronavirus transmission.
In general, people are considered fully vaccinated:
- Two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.
Vaccines:FDA authorizes COVID-19 vaccine boosters for the immunocompromised
Mapping CDC’s new guidelines:High transmission areas where you need to wear a mask indoors
In Greater Cincinnati:Hospitals face new strain on staffing as pandemic surge fills more beds
How to wear your mask
- Be sure to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on a mask.
- Do not touch the mask when wearing it. If you have to often touch/adjust your mask, it doesn’t fit you properly, and you may need to find a different mask or make adjustments.
- Make sure it covers your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
- Fits snugly against the sides of your face.
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