West Virginia Loosens Face Covering Requirements for the Vaccinated

According to guidance released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you may stop wearing a mask and social distancing in most settings, including at crowded indoor and outdoor events., according to new guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new guidance only applies to people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19  — meaning they are at least two weeks past receiving their second Pfizer or Moderna shot or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

It is a big step toward a return to pre-pandemic life, and one that may take some getting used to for weary Americans who have been covering their faces and living with restrictions for more than a year.

“We have all longed for this moment,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D, said at a press briefing. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”  

West Virginia, like many other states, quickly modified our mask orders to align with the new CDC guidance for fully vaccinated West Virginians.  As of May 14, 2021 Governor Justice’s new Executive Order  immediately modified West Virginia’s face covering requirement to follow the  updated CDC guidance for fully vaccinated West Virginians. The West Virginia Statewide Indoor Face Covering Requirement no longer applies to anyone who is fully vaccinated. ​  

Like the CDC guidance, this only applies to those who have been fully vaccinated; meaning that at least two weeks have elapsed since the administration of a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or that at least two weeks have elapsed since the administration of the only dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  

Additionally:
- Requiring proof of vaccination as a condition of entry into a State building or facility is not permitted.
- Face coverings must still be worn where required by federal law.
- Any private business or school system can still require individuals to wear a face covering.

The Statewide Indoor Face Covering Requirement is still in effect for all West Virginians who are not yet fully vaccinated- requiring people age 9 and up to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, except when engaged in physical activity such as sports or when eating or drinking at a restaurant.  

The Governor also announced that the West Virginia face covering requirement will end June 20, 2021 for all West Virginians, vaccinated or not.