Local health experts react to new CDC guidance for fully vaccinated Americans Recommendations announced on Monday are considered a “first step” toward restoring normalcy in how people come together Share Updated: 5:52 PM CST Mar 8, 2021 Recommendations announced on Monday are considered a “first step” toward restoring normalcy in how people come together Share Updated: 5:52 PM CST Mar 8, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript REQUIRED DOSE. OMAHA’S NEWSLETTER IS LIVE WITH REACTION TO THIS NEW GUIDANCE. SALLY KIDD IS IN WASHINGTON TO WALK US THROUGH WHAT ELSE DOCTORS SAY FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE CAN OR SHOULD NOT DO FIRST JOSE TALKS WITH LOCAL HEALTH LEADERS WHO CAUTION US NOT TO LET OUR OUR GUARD DOWN JUST YET JOSE. THAT’S RIGHT, DAVID AND ALEXANDRA EVEN WITH THE SWARMER WEATHER DOCTORS AT UNMC SAY MEETING IN LARGER GROUPS STILL POSES RISKS UNTIL ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE THE FULL PROTECTION OF A VACCINE. INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT DR. MARK RUPP SAYS THE CDC’S LATEST GUIDANCE ON COVID-19 MAKES SENSE. IT REFLECTS THE FACT THAT THE VACCINES ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND THAT IF BOTH PARTIES IN A GROUP HAVE BEEN VACCINATED THAT IT MAKES LITTLE SENSE FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK AND YOU TO DO THE DISTANCING BUT AS SPRING BRINGS WARMER WEATHER REP POINTS OUT IN THE GUIDANCE HASN’T CHANGED YET WHEN IT COMES TO LARGER UNVACCINATED CROWDS GATHERING ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO OUT OF DOORS WITH FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE IS GOING TO BE SAFER THAN SHARING AIR IN AN INDOOR SPACE THAT THOUGHT MAYBE WHAT’S LEADING THOUSANDS TO VISIT POPULAR PLACES LIKE THE OMAHA HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM ZULILY LEADERS SAY THEY ARE NOT STOPPING THEIR GUARD. WE’RE GONNA REMAIN VIGILANT BECAUSE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT ONLY EACH OTHER BUT TO OUR GUESTS, BUT IT FOR ALSO FOR THE ANIMALS IN OUR CARE SENIOR OPERATIONS VP AND CEO DENNIS SCHNERBUSH SAYS ON TOP OF INVESTMENTS IN TOUCHLESS TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE ZOO NEW SENSORS NEAR EACH DOOR OF A BUILDING CAN HELP THEM MANAGE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INSIDE BUT ALSO HAS AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPONENT THAT ALSO WILL LET US KNOW IF IT’S THESE GUESTS COMING IN THE BUILDING WITHOUT MASK ON DR. RUPP SAYS MASKS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO PREVENT SPREAD UNTIL MORE PEOPLE CAN VACCINATED AND FOR NOW WE ALL NEED TO DO OUR PART TO KEEP CASE COUNTS LOW WITH PEOPLE THAT VACCINATED LATER IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER IF WE CAN GET THE RATES OF COVID-19 DOWN TO A VERY LOW LEVEL THEN WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO RELAX EVEN FURTHER. AND THERE’S ANOTHER PIECE OF GUIDANCE THAT DOCTORS SAY WILL NOT CHANGE JUST YET AND THEY SAY THAT’S THE TO TRAVELING WILL STILL POSE A RISK UNTIL AS RUPP SAYS ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE FULL IMMUNE PROTECTION REPORTING LIVE