ATLANTA — After a long year of wearing facial masks to protect communities from the spread of Covid-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear masks in many indoor situations.
This new CDC guidance comes after more and more Americans have become fully vaccinated. It proves that vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases of Covid-19.
It is important to note that some tribal nations and states may lift mask requirements for vaccinated people, while others are still cautiously embracing the new CDC guidelines.
CDC guidance does not set rules or law set by governmental bodies, such as tribes, state and local municipalities. CDC guidance should be viewed as guidance generated through scientific research. Businesses can still set their own rules on whether or not masks are mandated.
On the Navajo Nation that served as the epicenter among all tribal nations during Covid-19 pandemic, tribal leaders are still mandating the wearing of facial masks.
“We are staying the course with our mask mandate here on the Navajo Nation. Everyone is still required to wear a mask in public, indoors and outdoors. We will continue to be very cautious and take careful steps to gradually lift restrictions once we see our vaccination numbers increase, but we need to do more to reach our goal of community immunity,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said on Thursday.
During the past year, the Navajo Nation has seen the flattening of the curve in new cases only to have them surge again after holidays and some family events, such as birthday parties and weddings. Because of that history, Navajo Nation leaders want to stay the course.
“Health care facilities on the Navajo Nation have begun to vaccinate adolescents within the 12-to-15-year age range on the Navajo Nation and many will be holding large scale drive-thru vaccination events on Saturday to provide more opportunities for families to get vaccinated. Our goal is to have at least 5,000 adolescents vaccinated by this weekend. Together, we have to continue pushing back on Covid-19 and getting vaccinated is a key part of that effort,” Nez said.
For those tribal communities and states that will begin to lift the mask requirements, the CDC guidelines are as follows:
Fully vaccinated people can:
- Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance
- Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel
- Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
- Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
- Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomaticRefrain from routine screening testing if feasible
More Stories Like This
Biden Nominates Salish & Kootenai Tribal Attorney Danna Jackson for Federal BenchA Conversation With Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan: What We Can Celebrate Around the State
Return to the Heart Foundation Gives 44 Micro-Grants to Native Women Leaders
Indigenous Journalists Association President Addresses Members of the UNPFII
Inter-Tribal Council Passes Resolution Urging FCC to Establish Specific Event Code for Missing and Endangered Persons
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.
