As restrictions fall away, operators weigh safety and economic risks of easing mask and physical distancing policies After federal health officials on Thursday gave vaccinated people a green light to ditch their face masks and sit closer together, restaurant operators were left with some difficult decisions to make. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say vaccinated people in most settings no longer have to wear masks or remain socially distant, unless required by regulators. The guidance comes as the vaccines, now widely available, have proven to be very effective in protecting people from the disease that has killed more than 900,000 over the past 15 months. The move is expected to result in changes to state and local mask and social distancing requirements where they still exist.