Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Urges People To Continue To Wear Masks & Social Distance Around Strangers
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The CDC recently said people can do outdoor activities in smaller groups, mask-free. However, they can not completely toss it aside yet.
Health experts say the way to see fewer masks is more vaccines in arms.
For many vaccinated people, the easing back of masks outside is a break of fresh air.
"Outdoors is one of the safest things that we can do to prevent the spread of COVID when we are socializing, eating, or when we are doing anything without a mask on," says Rachel Guran, Director of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention at Memorial Healthcare.
She says the more people get vaccinated, the more these guidelines can be adjusted.
Based on those new guidelines, fully vaccinated people, without masks, can:
- Walk, run, bike outdoors
- Attend small outdoor gatherings with vaccinated & unvaccinated people
- Dine outdoors with multiple households
- Attend small indoor gathering at private residence with other fully vaccinated people
However, people will still need a mask to do the following:
- Attend a crowded outdoor event, like concert or game
- Attend indoor gathering with a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Shop or dine indoors
Fully vaccinated means someone is two weeks out from having both doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
"At this point, they haven't change the rules or regulations for masks in the stadium," says Marlins CEO Derek Jeter. "We're not there yet."
Since they are considered a large gathering, he says fans need their masks.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says people need to continue masks and social distancing when around people they do not know.
"Who here has been vaccinated? You all look the same to me. If you didn't tell me I wouldn't know," she says. "So I think it's common courtesy to wear our masks, so everyone can feel comfortable.
Broward Mayor Steve Geller already eased outdoor mask restrictions in the county the other week, based on their 50% adult vaccination rate. However, he says that is still not quite enough.
"It's the only thing that's keeping us from reopening now," says Geller. "Our numbers will go down once more people get vaccinated."
The more people are vaccinated, the less chance the virus has to spread and mutate.
Guran says data indicates vaccinated individuals help to slow the spread.
"It's actually been shown that you do have a lesser chance of spreading it, if not spreading it at all, she says. "So all of that research on the vaccine is really promising."