Confusion Reigns As Some Cling To Face Coverings, Others Feel The Breeze

CNN: America Tastes New Freedoms But Confronts New Dilemmas As It Takes Off The Mask 
Vaccinated Americans spent the most normal weekend for more than a year exploring restored freedoms to gather without masks but also dilemmas over personal and collective responsibility sparked by new government health guidance. After many months of being told to mask up and keep their distance, millions of citizens are now grappling with when, whether and where to ditch or wear face coverings as a more hopeful stage dawns in a still dangerous crisis. (Collinson, 5/17)

The Washington Post: Confused Americans Grapple With CDC's New Mask Rules 
Soon after the CDC announced its updated mask guidance, Louisville coffee shop owner Billy Seckman took to Instagram. "Notice," he posted, "masks are still required!" Even though most of his staff is fully vaccinated, Seckman said he wasn't comfortable with customers coming in barefaced. (Gaffney, Kelly and Gowen, 5/16)

Axios: CDC Mask Guidance Sparks Confusion, Questions 
The CDC's surprise guidance last week freeing the fully vaccinated to go maskless sowed plenty of concerns across the country— even earning the "Saturday Night Live" treatment for all the questions it spurred. With plenty of Americans still unvaccinated — and without any good way to confirm who has been vaccinated — some experts worry this could put many at increased risk. (Reed, 5/17)

Also —

CNN: Some People Still Need To Mask Up Even If Vaccinated. Are You One Of Them? 
The news flashed across the country -- mask-free at last! People who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer have to wear masks inside or outside, nor do they have to stay 6 feet away from others, according to new guidance released Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Does that mean those Americans vaccinated at least two weeks ago -- meaning full immunity has kicked in -- can throw their masks in the air and hug all in celebration? Not quite. (LaMotte and Thomas, 5/16)

Stat: Mask Mandates Might Be Going Away, But Don't Ditch Yours Just Yet 
Fully vaccinated people are exhaling this weekend, ditching masks and easing up on social distancing, per the latest Covid-19 guidance put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new advice marks a significant milestone in the nation’s effort to stamp out the disease, and signals the beginning of a return to normalcy. But scientists say there are good reasons not to toss out your mask stash just yet. (Molteni, 5/16)

CBS News: Don't Want To Stop Wearing Your Mask? Psychotherapist Says They Give A Sense Of Security 
Although fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear face masks in many situations, the comforting qualities that mask-wearing offers some people may make them think twice before ditching their face coverings entirely.  "There is a way that the mask hides your feelings," psychotherapist Kathryn Smerling said in an interview on CBSN. "It does give you the anonymous quality that often we want and we crave." (Powell, 5/14)

The Washington Post: Hugs Are Coming Back. Not Everyone Is Thrilled. 
When Stevi Stephens was 5 years old, her grandmother bent down for a hug, and Stephens wondered if stepping on her foot would make her stop. As a baby, her mother told her, Stephens cried when anyone held her; later, as a married woman, she used to get up and change sides of the bed multiple times each night when her husband would scoot over in his sleep to put an arm around her. “He was like a heat-seeking missile,” she says. (Fetters, 5/15)