MEMORANDUM
TO: Local Health Departments
FROM: Communicable Disease Section
RE: Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the Interim Public Health
Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People in non-health care settings. In summary, fully vaccinated
people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any non-healthcare setting, except
where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local
business and workplace guidance. IDPH is working to adjust existing guidance documents in response.
Guidance for healthcare settings remains unchanged at this time and can be found at Updated
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination. In
addition, employees and residents of congregate settings, such as correctional facilities and homeless
shelters, should continue to mask. Similarly, schools should continue to follow the CDC’s school
guidance until more people and children are vaccinated.
The CDC’s guiding principles for these updates are:
• Indoor and outdoor activities pose minimal risk to fully vaccinated people.
• Fully vaccinated people have a reduced risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to unvaccinated people.
• Fully vaccinated people should still get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Fully vaccinated people should not visit private or public settings if they have tested positive for
COVID-19 in the prior 10 days or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
The following recommendations for fully vaccinated persons are as follows:
• Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by
federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and
workplace guidance
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after
travel (For now, masking is still required on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public
transportation.)
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by
the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for
specific settings (e.g., employees or residents of homeless shelters and detention facilities)
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
• Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
TO: Local Health Departments
FROM: Communicable Disease Section
RE: Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the Interim Public Health
Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People in non-health care settings. In summary, fully vaccinated
people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any non-healthcare setting, except
where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local
business and workplace guidance. IDPH is working to adjust existing guidance documents in response.
Guidance for healthcare settings remains unchanged at this time and can be found at Updated
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination. In
addition, employees and residents of congregate settings, such as correctional facilities and homeless
shelters, should continue to mask. Similarly, schools should continue to follow the CDC’s school
guidance until more people and children are vaccinated.
The CDC’s guiding principles for these updates are:
• Indoor and outdoor activities pose minimal risk to fully vaccinated people.
• Fully vaccinated people have a reduced risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to unvaccinated people.
• Fully vaccinated people should still get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Fully vaccinated people should not visit private or public settings if they have tested positive for
COVID-19 in the prior 10 days or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
The following recommendations for fully vaccinated persons are as follows:
• Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by
federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and
workplace guidance
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after
travel (For now, masking is still required on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public
transportation.)
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by
the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for
specific settings (e.g., employees or residents of homeless shelters and detention facilities)
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
• Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations