Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Honor System' Already Shows Cracks As More Businesses Drop Mask Rules
CNN: More Places In The US Lift Mask Mandates. One Local Leader Says The Honor System Is Already Not Working
Several days since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated Americans can -- for the most part -- ditch their masks, more places are announcing changes to their mask policies, or doing away with the requirement altogether. CVS pharmacy and Target both said on Monday they will no longer require fully vaccinated guests to wear masks inside their stores unless mandated by local leaders, joining other businesses who have dropped mask mandates for those who have gotten their shots. (Maxouris, 5/18)
Axios: Target, CVS And Other Stores Ease Mask Requirements After CDC Guidance
A growing list of large retailers has begun to ease mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers, after the CDC issued guidance last week saying vaccinated people can do most activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing. Target and CVS Pharmacy on Monday were among the latest to update policies to allow fully vaccinated guests in their stores without face coverings, unless it is required by local law. (Arias, 5/17)
Detroit Free Press: Here Are The Grocery Stores Dropping And Keeping Face Mask Policies
In a move that other grocers and retailers have made, Grand Rapids-based Meijer announced on Monday that fully vaccinated customers now can enter its stores without a face covering. But the Grand Rapids-based retailer will still require its store team members to wear a face covering. (Selasky, 5/17)
In related news about mask-wearing —
Fox News: New CDC Mask Guidance ‘Should Not Send Message Pandemic Is Over,’ Expert Group Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated mask guidance "should not send the message that the pandemic is over," a group of infectious disease experts said Monday. While applauding the guidance as "an important step, signifying our capability to eventually end the pandemic," the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) emphasized that the recommendations "make no change to mask-wearing guidance in health care settings, schools and public high-traffic areas including airports, as well as on airplanes, buses and other forms of public transportation." (Hein, 5/17)
CBS News: Many Small Businesses Say They'll Leave Decision To De-Mask Up To Customers
Americans who are vaccinated against COVID-19 now have a green light from federal health authorities to take off their masks, signaling a more hopeful phase in the nation's 14-month battle against the pandemic. Yet many small businesses, nearly battered into submission by the virus, are choosing to proceed more cautiously. Kay Lee, the owner of Otte, a women's boutique in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood in New York City, said her customers typically mask up without her having to ask. Her staff, who are are fully vaccinated, also wear masks. "When customers walk in, they wear their masks. No one takes them off," Lee told CBS MoneyWatch. (Cerullo, 5/17)
The New York Times: They’re Vaccinated And Keeping Their Masks On, Maybe Forever
Whenever Joe Glickman heads out for groceries, he places an N95 mask over his face and tugs a cloth mask on top of it. He then pulls on a pair of goggles. He has used this safety protocol for the past 14 months. It did not change after he contracted the coronavirus last November. It didn’t budge when, earlier this month, he became fully vaccinated. And even though President Biden said on Thursday that fully vaccinated people do not have to wear a mask, Mr. Glickman said he planned to stay the course. In fact, he said, he plans to do his grocery run double-masked and goggled for at least the next five years. (Nir, 5/17)
CBS News: We Asked A Former CDC Director About The New Mask Guidelines. Here's What He Said
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last Thursday that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of gathering size. This followed the CDC's approval for children between the ages of 12 and 15 to receive the Pfizer vaccine. These announcements signal a return to normalcy in the U.S., but how "normal" will this summer and the rest of the year look? Here's what Dr. Richard Besser, former acting CDC director and president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, told "Face the Nation." (5/17)
The Hill: Senators Shed Masks After CDC Lifts Mandate
Senators largely shed their masks as they returned to the Capitol on Monday, marking a step back toward pre-pandemic normalcy after more than one year. Monday's session comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance late last week that vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks in most settings indoors or outdoors. (Carney, 5/17)
