Per new Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations, St. Joseph County health officer Robert Einterz rescinded the county mask mandate Thursday afternoon.
According to the CDC guidelines announced earlier in the day, people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks except in places where it is required by law or other business or workplace guidelines.
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two weeks after receiving the second of two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
“Individuals who are not fully vaccinated or do not have acquired immunity should continue to take appropriate precautions, including face coverings whenever distancing of six feet from other people cannot be ensured in a closed public space,” Einterz said in the press release.
Einterz also encouraged those who haven’t been vaccinated yet to receive the vaccine.
“Vaccinations are the best way to protect oneself, one’s loved ones, and one’s neighbors from contracting and spreading the virus,” he said. “I urge everyone who’s eligible to get vaccinated to prevent COVID-19 infection.”
The mask mandate in St. Joseph County was meant to last until May 27 after COVID-19 cases increased at the end of March. At the time of publication, St. Joseph County recorded 57 new cases and over 930 active cases, as well as a vaccination rate of over 36 percent, according to the Indiana Department of Public Health.
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