By Sabrina Betterly
News Editor

On March 17, the Pennsylvania Department of Health adjusted the order on mask-wearing to match the CDC’s guidelines.

People who are fully vaccinated can do activities such as visiting other fully vaccinated people without masks or without other guidelines like social distancing. They can also visit low-risk people from a single household who aren’t vaccinated indoors without masks or social distancing. 

If asymptomatic, vaccinated individuals aren’t required to get a COVID-19 test or quarantine if they are knowingly exposed to someone with COVID-19.

However, even if vaccinated, residents still must follow social distancing rules in public and continue to wear masks. People are still advised to avoid large gatherings and get tested if they’re experiencing symptoms. 

Acting Pa. Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a recent statement, “Research has shown that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. However, there is still more to learn about how long protection lasts and how much vaccines protect against new variants of the virus, so some prevention measures will continue to be in place for all people, regardless of their vaccination status.”

These recent changes are another step in a positive direction of overcoming this pandemic.