PITTSBURGH (100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA) On Thursday, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people do not need to continue to wear masks in certain settings and situations.
Since the announcement, companies and other establishments have been updating their own mask mandate to mirror that of the CDC’s.
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has joined that list of updating mask policies.
The Diocese is continuing its commitment to aligning with the local, state, and federal health guidelines, and stating that fully vaccinated people may attend masses or other gatherings on parish property without a mask.
For those who are not fully vaccinated or may feel more comfortable around those still wearing masks, every church will feature a mask wearing section.
The term “fully vaccinated” is defined as being two weeks after a second shot or two weeks after a single dose vaccine.
People who do not reach those requirements are not considered “fully vaccinated.”
Social distancing is still in effect and will remain until May 31.
“As we have seen at several points throughout this pandemic, health guidance and directives can change rapidly,” said Bishop David Zubik. “I continue to express my gratitude for the flexibility of the faithful, and the hard work of our clergy and their parish teams in implementing the changing directives into our parishes. Our loving Lord has seen us through our masks and is here with and for us during this next transition.”
The move to relax the mask mandate within churches comes just two days after the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced they would fully open their churches.