Mask Mandate Essentially Lifted in Pennsylvania, Effective Immediately

Fully vaccinated people in Pennsylvania (except for Philadelphia) no longer have to wear masks in most places effective immediately, the state’s Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam announced Thursday afternoon following a similar announcement from the CDC.

Earlier this afternoon the CDC significantly eased mask guidance saying that fully vaccinated Americans could stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. They also removed the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated.

The guidance from the CDC calls for masks to be worn in some settings (like buses, planes, and hospitals).

Pennsylvania's Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam just announced that the CDC’s guidelines will go into effect immediately for Pennsylvania.
“Today’s guidance from the CDC affects only people who are fully vaccinated,” she wrote.
Unvaccinated persons will still be required to wear a mask until 70% of the state’s population has been vaccinated.

“This is another incentive to get the vaccine that is now easily and conveniently available. Once 70 percent of Pennsylvanians over 18 are fully vaccinated, we can completely lift the masking order," Beam says. 

The city of Philadelphia, however, has not revealed if they will immediately follow the CDC’s guidance on mask-wearing. The city of Philadelphia has set its own timeline for COVID-19 restrictions throughout the pandemic.