Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that Virginia is altering its mask mandate to align with new CDC guidance.
Here’s what this means for Virginians who are fully vaccinated from COVID-19:
- They do not have to wear masks outdoors when alone or in small gatherings
- Mask use is still required indoors and outdoors at large, crowded events, such as concerts, sporting events, and graduation ceremonies
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine.
“The CDC’s recommendations underscore what we have said all along—vaccinations are the way we will put this pandemic behind us and get back to normal life,” said Northam. “Our increasing vaccination rate and decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases has made it possible to ease mitigation measures in a thoughtful and measured manner. I encourage all Virginians who have not yet received the vaccine to make an appointment today.”
The governor also revised Executive Order 72 to allow up to 1,000 fans at high school football state finals games scheduled for Saturday across Virginia.
So far, more than 3.7 million Virginians have been vaccinated with at least one dose, representing 57 percent of Virginia’s adult population, and 2.5 million Virginians are fully vaccinated, representing 39 percent of the adult population.
Virginians over the age of 16 can schedule a vaccination appointment by visiting vaccinate.virginia.gov or calling 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1).