Recent COVID-19 Delta variant outbreaks caused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to update vaccination and mask guidance. Chiefly, the July 27 guidance addresses both fully vaccinated and nonvaccinated individuals and measures to keep everyone safe from illness. Previously, the released guidance on what fully vaccinated individuals can do in public. Similarly, on July 29, the federally established Safer Federal Workforce Task Force released guidance on COVID-19 workplace safety.
Definition of “Fully Vaccinated”
Accordingly, in the vaccination and mask guidance released by the CDC and the federal government, “fully vaccinated” has similar definitions. For instance, achieving “full vaccination” status only occurs after:
- Two weeks have passed after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines; or
- It has been two weeks since they received a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
Generally, if less than two weeks have passed since an individual’s last shot, they do not qualify as thoroughly protected. Hence, if a person received the first shot but not yet the second dose, they are not fully protected. For this purpose, any individual who falls into those examples should follow all prevention steps until fully vaccinated.
Overview of CDC Updated Guidance
On account of the rise of Delta COVID-19 variant cases, the CDC added the following into its previously released guidance:
- Updated information for fully vaccinated people given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant currently circulating in the United States.
- Recommendations for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.
- Added information that fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission. In particular, immunocompromised individuals who are at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19.
- Recommendations for fully vaccinated people with known exposure to COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure. Those individuals should also wear masks in indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
- A call for universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Safer Federal Workforce Task Force Guidelines
Since taking office in January 2021, President Joseph Biden has issued several Executive Orders (EOs) aimed at various subject matters. For example, one EO discusses protecting worker health and safety during the pandemic. Another EO includes guidance on tackling the climate crisis. Following the release of the CDC’s vaccination and mask guidance, President Biden signed EO 13991 into law. Specifically, EO 13991 created the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force to oversee, develop, and implement COVID-19 workplace safety plans. In particular, these workplace safety plans affect federal executive departments and agencies.
To ensure consistency with the CDC’s updated guidance, the Task Force’s new guidelines include the following:
- In areas of substantial transmission, federal employees, contractors, and visitors must wear a mask inside federal buildings.
- Federal agencies need to ask about the vaccination status of federal employees and onsite contractors.
- Agencies must establish a program to test not fully vaccinated federal employees and onsite contractors weekly or twice-weekly.
- Federal employees must receive paid time off to be vaccinated, deal with side effects, or accompany family members to vaccinations.