Recovery Resources: Businesses, unions and state governments respond to revised CDC mask guidance

States and local governments are responding to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s revised guidance issued on Thursday.
The CDC announced that people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need wear masks or physically distance themselves in any setting except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including guidance from local businesses and workplaces. Here’s what that means for:

•         Travelers — Fully vaccinated people can resume domestic travel without having to be tested for COVID-19 before or after traveling or self-quarantine before or after traveling. Travelers must continue wearing masks on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation, as well as airports, train stations and other transportation hubs.
  
  
•         Pennsylvanians other than Philadelphians — The Pennsylvania Department of Health said fully vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks and that unvaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks until 70 percent of the state’s residents are vaccinated. As of Wednesday, 46.7 percent of Pennsylvanians 18 and older were fully vaccinated. The state will end COVID-related capacity limits for all counties other than Philadelphia on Memorial Day.
  
  
•         Philadelphians — The Philadelphia Department of Health hadn’t replied to a request for comment on the CDC announcement from The Philadelphia Inquirer as of mid-morning Friday. It said Tuesday that on May 21 it would lift COVID-related capacity limits on offices, stores, museums, and libraries and end the requirement that alcohol can’t be served without food. It plans to end all COVID-related capacity limits on June 11.
  
  
•         New Jerseyans and Delawareans — New Jersey and Delaware health officials told the Inquirer Friday morning they were reviewing the CDC’s new guidelines. New Jersey last updated its guidelines Thursday while Delaware last updated its guidelines Wednesday, saying then it planned to end most business capacity restrictions on May 21.

Businesses, unions, cautious about dropping mask requirements
Reactions by school districts, unions, businesses and others to the CDC’s new guidelines were mixed.

•         WPVI reported that officials of the Springfield Township School District in Montgomery County said they were reviewing the guidance. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union released a statement saying, “We will evaluate the guidance for how it will apply to school settings, and how it might apply especially in younger grades where students are not yet eligible for vaccination." American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said Thursday there should be a full return to in-person learning in the fall and her union is "all in" on bringing students back to the classroom.
  
  
•          Business Insider reported that Macy’s, Target and Starbucks were among chain operators saying they will still make masks mandatory for shoppers and workers in their locations. CVS, Walgreens and the Gap said they were reviewing their mask policies. Walmart said it was reevaluating its mask policy and Home Depot hasn’t updated its mask policy yet. The United Food and Commercial Workers, meanwhile, said the rules are “confusing” and could make frontline retail and grocery workers the "vaccination police,” noting that there has been an almost 35 percent increase in grocery worker deaths since March 1, alongside a nearly 30 percent jump in grocery workers infected with or exposed to COVID-19 following supermarket outbreaks.
  
  
•          Hersheypark said guests who are fully vaccinated won’t have to wear masks or practice social distancing.

Chesco, Delco, Montco offering Pfizer vaccine to anyone 12 or older
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday encouraged all COVID-19 vaccine providers to start vaccinating anyone 12 and older with the Pfizer vaccine as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC. Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties have begun vaccinating anyone 12 and older.