Miami-Dade Mayor Says County To Follow CDC On New Mask Guidelines For Fully-Vaccinated Individuals
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Thursday night that the county will follow the CDC's latest mask guidelines.
Earlier in the day, the CDC said people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can forgo their masks and social distancing in many indoor situations.
"This is truly the day we've been waiting for. And I feel more confident than ever that we're reaching the light at the end of a very dark tunnel," said Mayor Cava.
Throughout this pandemic our community stayed strong. You summoned the best of Miami-Dade and together we proved there is no challenge too great. It's because of you – and all that you have sacrificed – that today I'm proud to report we are almost at the finish line. pic.twitter.com/ROyRSNiYKO
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) May 13, 2021
The mayor continued, "In an effort to continue our fight to return back to our normal lives, and in consultation with our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Paige and our panel of medical experts, I am no longer mandating, but still recommend, that people wear a mask and social distance at Miami-Dade County facilities."
Cava said the reason to continue the recommendation is because it's impossible to know who is and isn't vaccinated.
That unknown is one of the reasons why Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist, believes the CDC might be "going a little too fast."
"We may know our friends and family situations, but we don't know the situation for strangers. So if you have an underlying condition or are at risk, it may make sense that you continue to wear a mask," she said.
The CDC announced the requirement to wear masks during travel on trains, buses, planes and transportation still stands.
You must also still wear a mask at health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and businesses that require you to do so.
"Employers can still require their employees to wear a mask, though. We would expect with this new guidance many employers will start to relax," said employment attorney Carter Sox. "However we are advising employers not to impose different rules for vaccinated and non-vaccinated people because doing so could lead to a HIPPA violation."