Your dollar will decide what happens next.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced changes in mask protocols Thursday afternoon. It said fully vaccinated people who were 14 days removed from their final dose of the vaccine no longer needed to wear a mask in most situations. That includes outdoor activities and indoor events that are not over-crowded. Notable exceptions were for crowded places like buses and airplanes.
Those who decided not to get one of the three approved vaccines were told by the CDC they need to continue to wear a mask. The announcement said the masks were necessary to protect them from contracting the disease as well as to keep from potentially spreading the diseased to other non-vaccinated individuals.
Here's the kicker. The CDC said private businesses have the right to continue to ask patrons to wear a mask inside their stores -- regardless of shoppers' vaccination status.
So let me understand this. The CDC says you don't have to wear a mask if you are fully vaccinated, and you do have to wear a mask if you haven't been vaccinated; unless you walk though the doors of a company that has decided that it wants to you wear a mask.
Many are frustrated. They don't know whether they need to wear a mask or not cover their face. When should they? When can they take them off?
But here's the reality. There are going to be stores who say fully vaccinated people are welcome in their business -- sans face covering. The NFL, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Trader Joes came out Friday and said fully vaccinated people can leave their masks at home. On the other hand, Giant Eagle, CVS Pharmacy, Target, Home Depot and Starbucks all said people -- vaccinated or not -- must mask up before they shop or go to a stadium.
So, like many other things, the almighty dollar will be the tie-breaker. If vaccinated people want to ditch the mask, spending money in stores that do not require them is an easy way to send a loud and clear message.
What happens next remains to be seen. But we know one thing: your dollars will decide.
