Long-term care residents who are fully vaccinated can now enjoy fewer restrictions. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box says Indiana is adopting the new CDC guidance in long-term care facilities.
“Under those guidelines, fully-vaccinated residents may dine and have activities without social distancing and masking,” Box explained durng a press conference Wednesday. “Fully-vaccinated residents may have vaccinated visitors to their rooms without social distancing and masking. Fully-vaccinated people do not have to wear a mask outdoors unless they are in large groups, and fully-vaccinated asymptomatic people without an exposure may be exempted from routine testing.”
Box expects that as more people get vaccinated and case numbers go down, the CDC will continue to ease mask its mask guidance for the general public. But she says some businesses may still want to require them if their employees or customers are at particularly high risk.
“I think until we get further into this, that’s a very reasonable thing,” she said. “In fact, I will become a mask wearer, probably, in the fall, around the time when influenza becomes a big problem, when I go to different areas because it has really made such a difference this year in our influenza cases and our RSV cases.”
She says that while it’s very unlikely for someone who’s fully vaccinated to get infected or infect someone else, it’s important to follow local mask policies and be respectful of those who may not be vaccinated.
