BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech experts are applauding new guidance from the CDC on wearing face masks.
Fully-vaccinated Americans no longer need to cover their faces unless they’re in a big crowd of strangers.
Experts said the new recommendations help people make their own decisions for different circumstances and this is only possible because more people are getting protected against the virus.
“A lot of the control of the peaks of the epidemic were by setting up some sort of barrier so that we keep the virus from going between people. A mask, double masking, is a great way to do that but now we know vaccinating is a great way to do that too, so you’re sort of substituting one barrier to the virus for another one,” said Dr. Laura L. Hungerford, director of Virginia Tech’s Public Health Program.
Hungerford said how long we’ll have to continue wearing masks depends on how many people get vaccinated.