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Californians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can go mask-free in most indoor settings starting June 15 which also is the target date for reopening the state’s economy, officials announced Monday. The June 15 change will bring the state into alignment with recently released guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal health officials said last week that available evidence demonstrated it was safe for fully vaccinated people to go without masks in most places, whether outdoors or inside.
That was only a recommendation, though, and the final call was largely left to state and local governments one exception being public transportation, such as airplanes, airports, trains and buses.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s sweeping relaxations for mask requirements came as a surprise to many businesses included.
The public health agency announced Thursday that anyone who is fully vaccinated can stop wearing masks and social distancing in most indoor settings. California says otherwise and will keep in effect for now strict mask rules at stores and places of employment in the state.
This discrepancy is forcing businesses into a tough-yet-familiar situation in which they’ll have to enforce contentious rules for customers receiving mixed messaging from different governmental entities.
Many business owners and workers expect awkward interactions that could alienate customers and put employees at risk. Some customers might not pick up on the difference between the tighter state restrictions and the looser national guidelines.
The CDC says vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks indoors. California says they do, and businesses are now forced to deal with the ambiguity.
Masking up at a store? What Trader Joeâs, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and other retailers say
Walmart and Costco on Friday also dropped their in-store mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers.
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In this Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, a woman, wearing a protective face mask due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, wheels a cart with her purchases out of a Walmart store, in Derry, N.H. Walmart, the worldâs largest retailer, said Friday, May 14, 2021 that it wonât require vaccinated shoppers or workers to wear a mask in its U.S. stores, unless state or local laws say otherwise. Vaccinated shoppers can go maskless immediately, the company said. Vaccinated workers can stop wearing them on May 18. [ CHARLES KRUPA | AP ]