Western Pa. health experts: Relaxed mask rules 'long overdue'

Health experts in Western Pennsylvania said it’s no surprise outdoor mask-wearing is no longer part of federal health guidance. From the beginning of the pandemic, data has shown outdoor transmission of covid-19 to be a rare event.

“I think that this was a long overdue step, but it was completely supported by the science,” said Pittsburgh-based Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It was an important move … in order to really show people the value of vaccinations and how vaccinations do change things.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidelines Tuesday, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear masks outdoors anymore, unless they’re in a crowd with strangers. Unvaccinated people can also forgo masks when they are walking, biking or running alone, with members of their household or gathering in small groups with vaccinated people.

Masks are still recommended for crowded outdoor events like concerts or sporting events, and in all indoor public spaces.

Despite the change, it remains to be seen how businesses that operate mainly outdoors will respond to the federal recommendations.

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, for instance, will keep its mask requirements in place, a spokeswoman said.

“The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is closely monitoring the situation as it relates to mask recommendations for our guests,” Jaime Szoszorek said in a statement. “At this time we will continue to require masks for all patrons at both indoor and outdoor locations, based upon state and county requirements.”

Adalja said the change — the lifting of restrictions and greater freedom the new guidance offers — should further enforce the value of the vaccines to individuals who are still unvaccinated. He hopes it “nudges” people who might be on the fence about getting inoculated against covid-19.

“If people don’t see this vaccine as a personal value to them, as something that’s going to make their individual personal life better, they’re not going to get it,” he said. “And I think, for too long, many people in my field undersold the vaccine.”

U.S. health officials have recommended near-universal masking for most of the pandemic.

Matt Moffa, director of infection prevention at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield, said the change offers more “positive reinforcement.”

“I think it’s important that people hear about things they can safely do, as opposed to always being told what you cannot do or should not do,” Moffa said.

The new guidance explains different risk levels — for vaccinated versus unvaccinated, indoors versus outdoors. These distinctions are important, Moffa said, because they emphasize activities with lower risk levels, encouraging more people to get vaccinated and to seek out safer environments.

“We’re inching our way toward the finish line, getting out of this pandemic, and I think people are frustrated. They’re kind of tired of being told what they can’t do,” he said. “This is just a nice little step in the direction of getting back to where we were pre-covid.”

Meanwhile, indoor masking will likely continue to be the norm, even for fully vaccinated people. Experts predict those guidelines won’t be lifted until a greater portion of the U.S. population has been inoculated.

“Especially in larger gatherings, it’s really impossible to know who is vaccinated or not vaccinated. But the main thing that (the CDC) stresses is in small gatherings, that’s really where you can lift restrictions,” Moffa said.

It’s not very practical for employees in public places to check individuals’ vaccine statuses to determine whether they should don a mask; but outside, the added ventilation and social distancing creates a kind of “buffer” for all – vaccinated or otherwise.

“It’s operationally very difficult to separate the vaccinated from the unvaccinated,” Adalja said.

Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC’s medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology, likened the situation to protecting people in automobile accidents: cars need both seatbelts and airbags. During the pandemic, he said, society needs both masks and widespread vaccination.

Snyder noted that even those who are young, healthy and vaccinated should still do their part to protect the most vulnerable — especially given that those with compromised immune systems may receive less protection from the vaccines, early studies show.

“I think we’ll still be talking about masking and social distancing for many months to come,” he said.

The nuance in the CDC’s latest guidance is important, Snyder said. People still need to assess the degree of risk when gathering with others outdoors. They should ask themselves if there are any individuals present who are unvaccinated, older or with compromised immune systems: How physically close together is the group? How many people are in the space?

“You have to use just some personal judgment about the situation you’re in,” Snyder said. “Use a bit of your gut instinct about whatever circumstance you’re in.”