Updated Mask Requirements Around the DMV
Earlier this week the CDC updated it’s guidelines regarding fully vaccinated people and the wearing of masks. The key parts of the new guidelines state that fully vaccinated people can:
- Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
- Visit with unvaccinated people (including children) from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
- Participate in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except in certain crowded settings and venues
- 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 asymptomatic
- Refrain from routine screening testing if asymptomatic and feasible
On Wednesday, Governor Hogan lifted the outdoor mask requirements in the state of Maryland.
Montgomery County still has their outdoor mask mandate in place as local jurisdictions have the ability to create their own guidelines, meaning Montgomery County must lift requirements for it to be effective locally.
The Montgomery County Council released a statement Wednesday explaining their decision not to update it’s guidelines. In it, they said, “Just yesterday the Council, acting as the Board of Health, approved a new public health regulation that provided further phased reopenings tied to COVID-19 vaccination percentages. This regulation, which was developed with Montgomery County’s public health team, remains in place and is unaffected by Gov. Hogan’s latest executive order.”
On Thursday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam updated his state’s mask mandate to align with the CDC’s latest guidelines.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released an updated order Friday night that loosens the restrictions on mask wearing in the District of Columbia. In DC, businesses are authorized to ask to see a patrons vaccine card or other adequate proof of vaccination to verify whether they need to wear a mask within the establishment.
You can view the updated DC guidelines here.
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