MADISON, Wis.– Dane County’s mask mandate ends on June 2, turning the long-standing requirement into a recommendation for unvaccinated people.
The recommendation leaves many half-vaccinated families with a decision to make very soon: to mask or not to mask.
“I think each family will approach this question differently,” UW Health’s Dr. Joseph McBride said.
While many kids will be ready to follow their parents’ lead to ditch the mask, McBride said the face covering is still the best protection against COVID-19 for unvaccinated people.
“The big message we really want to say is that young kids still are vulnerable to this virus and should still be doing the same kid of social distancing and (wearing) masks that we’ve always recommended,” McBride said.
Spread is slowing in Dane County, with new cases down another two percent compared to earlier this month, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County.
“That is because more and more people are being protected due to the virus,” McBride said.
However, unvaccinated kids are still at risk of catching the virus and sharing it with friends. McBride said there are few situations where that recommendation is loosened, including small gatherings where everyone else is fully vaccinated.
“In large settings, you know, summer camps, school, sporting events, these are still going to be large groups of people who lack the protection because they don’t have the vaccine,” McBride said.
McBride said fully-vaccinated people do not need to worry about bringing COVID-19 home to unvaccinated family members.
As of now, the Pfizer vaccine is approved for people 15 and older. The Moderna and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are both approved for adults only.
COPYRIGHT 2021 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
