Massachusetts Issues Guidance Urging Vaccinated People to Mask Up

People wear masks as they shop at a store in Union Station on July 30, 2021 in Washington,
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Massachusetts issued guidance urging fully vaccinated people to mask up in certain situations, as detailed in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) July 30 update.

The advisory cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) controversial July 27 guidance, recommending fully vaccinated individuals wear face coverings in indoor areas deemed to have high transmission of the Chinese coronavirus. As such, the department updated its guidance, recommending vaccinated individuals mask up in certain situations:

It states:

In response to the recent spread of the Delta variant, however, the CDC’s updated guidance does recommend that even fully vaccinated persons wear masks or face coverings when indoors if other risk factors are present. In light of the information provided by the CDC, and in order to maximize protection of vulnerable individuals from the Delta variant, the Department of Public Health now advises that a fully vaccinated person should wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk f or severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is an unvaccinated adult [Emphasis added].

“All people in Massachusetts (regardless of vaccination status) are required to continue wearing face coverings in certain settings, including transportation and health care facilities,” the department’s advisory adds.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) added that the state will “continue to double down to protect those who are most at risk.”

On Friday, the CDC revealed it based its remasking guidance, partially, on a study of a few hundred breakthrough cases in the Bay State, none of which resulted in death.

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